Luck of the Irish

St. Patrick’s Day is here and it’s time to go green! I’m sure we all remember being a kid and wearing all green to school and the classroom parties with shamrock cookies. There’s tons of traditions that go along with St. Patrick’s day such as leprechauns, pots of gold, and (everyone’s favorite) pinching someone if they aren’t wearing green. There’s a little more to this day than just the green attire and luck.

St. Patrick’s Day is both a cultural and religious holiday that originated on March 17, 461. This day is known as the feast day of St. Patrick in most Christian churches. This saint was a teacher in the Catholic church who travelled and taught kids about the religion. This is where the idea of the shamrock became important to the day. Churches used this as a symbol of luck and a way to teach children about the Catholic ideals.

The holiday began in Ireland, yet the large festivities we have in America became more popular as our nation expanded. St. Patrick’s Day became more commercialized, creating a love for the celebration. It is common to walk through the aisles of a store during March and see socks, hats, shirts, even foods that are all green or plastered with St. Patrick’s Day imagery. Even places like McDonald’s sell “Shamrock Shakes” all through March to commemorate the holiday. The “luck of the Irish” started as a common phrase when people associated the green holiday with Ireland and Irish people.

There are some wacky traditions that people follow during this holiday. Pinching people if they aren’t wearing green, dressing up like leprechauns, and eating green eggs and ham are just a few things people do to celebrate. Some cities hold parades and others (like Chicago) dye their river green. Make the best of this year’s celebration by trying new things. The Alltold staff wishes you a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The Chicago River dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day