Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Did you wear green today or even stumble upon a four-leaf clover? Or maybe you asked the question: Why do we celebrate a medieval Irish holiday here in the United States?

Saint Patrick was born in Britain, at this time ruled by the Romans, around 385 A.D.. When he was sixteen years old, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to their homeland as a slave. Eventually he escaped but decided to return bringing the gospel of Christianity with him. In order to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish, St. Patrick used the 3-leaf clover to symbolize both the unity and separation of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

St. Patrick died March 17, 493, the traditional date for celebrating Ireland’s patron saint. His legacy began to be honored in the 9th century, when Irish Christians held feasts and church services in memory of him. St. Patrick’s Day became the only day where Lent prohibitions, such as abstaining from meat and dairy products, were disregarded.

The first recorded St. Patrick’s Day celebration took place in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1600. The first parades, however, began in 1737 and 1762 in Boston and New York City. Throughout the next few centuries, the sacred holiday would turn secular as Irish mythology of Leprechauns and hidden pots of gold were intertwined with the story of St. Patrick.

The Great Potato Famine of 1845 brought an influx of over one million Irish immigrants to the United States, leading to the popularity in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Today, roughly one third of Americans claim Irish descent. Over 100 parades take place throughout the United States, the largest of which take place in Boston and NYC.

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