St. Patrick's
Day
St. Patrick's
Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint's religious feast day and the
anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day
as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.
St. Patrick's
Day celebration
On St.
Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families
would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the
afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and
people would dance, drink and feast--on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and
cabbage.
What do people do?
St
Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish
communities and organizations. Many people wear an item of green clothing on
the day. Parties featuring Irish food and drinks that are dyed in green food
color are part of this celebration. It is a time when children can indulge in
sweets and adults can enjoy a “pint” of beer at a local pub. Many restaurants
and pubs offer Irish food or drink, which include:
§ Irish brown bread.
§ Corned beef and cabbage.
§ Beef and Guinness pie.
§ Irish
cream chocolate mousse cake.
§ Irish coffee.
§ Irish
potato champ, also known as poundies, cally or pandy.
§ Irish stew.
§ Irish potato soup.
Some
people plan a pilgrimage to St Patrick’s Purgatory, which is commonly
associated with penance and spiritual healing since the early 13th century. It
is on Station Island in Lough Derg in County Donegal where St Patrick had a
vision promising that all who came to the sanctuary in penitence and faith
would receive a pardon for their sins.
¿What is the history
of St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's
Day was originally founded as a religious holiday honoring Ireland's patron
saint. St. Patrick is known for converting many of
the Emerald Isle's citizens to Christianity in the 400s. After his death,
Irishmen established an annual holiday on March 17 marked by church service and
prayer to honor his life.
St. Patrick's
Day over the world
Over the
centuries, Irishmen migrated to far corners of the world spreading their
culture. Soon, St. Patrick's Day became an internationally celebrated holiday.
Today, however, the holiday focuses less on religion and more on food, drink, and festivities. Additionally,
the holiday is not only celebrated by Irishmen, but by people from a multitude
of ethnic backgrounds looking for a fun time. As cities across the world plan
their St. Patrick's Day celebrations, each interprets the holiday a bit
differently.
St. Patrick's
Day Celebrations in the United States
The St.
Patrick's Day we know was widely shaped by American adaptations of the holiday.
In fact, citizens of Ireland have even modeled their
celebrations after those seen in America. This Americanized view of St.
Patrick's Day typically includes parades, libations, fare, and decorations
themed around leprechauns, pots of gold, and shamrocks.
Bibliographieshttp://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/Geography-Of-St-Patricks-Day-Celebrations.htmhttp://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/st-patrick-dayhttp://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day
