The Point

The Point

The Point

The Arrival of an Irish Tradition: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

March begins with warm weather and clear skies, heralding the arrival of spring. As March 17th approaches, people prepare to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Many people call the holiday “Saint Patrick’s Day”, but its original name—Lá Fhéile Pádraig—actually means “The Day of the Festival of Patrick” when translated from Irish to English.

What do people tend to do on Saint Patrick Day? Although Saint Patrick’s Day was originally an Irish holiday, people of Irish and non-Irish descents celebrate the holiday today. Some Sea King students of non-Irish descent celebrate the merry holiday in more depth than others.. Senior Noah Pacifici said, “On Saint Patrick’s Day, I usually try to wear green, of course. My mom prepares corned beef and cabbage that we enjoy. With the leftovers, we make corned beef hash and Reuben sandwiches.” Other non-Irish students mostly choose a shorter but simpler way of celebrating the holiday.

“I just wear green it is the tradition,” said junior Selina Lee. In addition to students, there are some teachers who also recognize Saint Patrick’s Day. For Spanish teacher Mr. Lynch (also known as Señor Lynch), does not celebrate the holiday. However, St. Patrick’s Day still  holds a special meaning to him. “I am part Irish, and I am proud of my Irish heritage. The Irish side of my family comes from the Noch, Ireland. Noch is the city where my grandparents live, and I enjoy any occasions I get to visit them,” he said.  However, a few people choose not to recognize Saint Patrick’s Day, either on purpose or by accident. As junior Amir Yamini simply stated, “I just wear green so people won’t pinch me.”

The holiday’s name originates from Saint Patrick, who remains as the most commonly recognized of the patron saints that brought Christianity to Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day is observed by the many different religious groups. Christians in particular commemorate Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. Over the centuries, however, the holiday has become more of a cultural celebration than a religious celebration.

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On Saint Patrick’s Day, people hold public parades and festivals. Religious groups attend mass or church services. Additionally, Saint Patrick’s Day is an official feast day, so the Lenten restrictions (rules followed during a solemn observance that ends on Easter Sunday) for eating and alcohol-drinking are temporarily lifted during the holiday.

The most well-known tradition of Saint Patrick’s Day is wearing green-colored clothes. Why the color green? Although some consider the color blue as a representation of Saint Patrick, it remains unclear as to how blue came to be associated with Saint Patrick. However, the color green gained greater popularity as the decades passed. Now, the color green stands as a symbol that people could easily associate with Saint Patrick and his holiday. An example can be seen by people wearing green clothes, a well-known sight on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Another equally well-known symbol is the shamrock, a plant more commonly known by many as the three-leaf clover. A three-leaf shamrock is said to have been used by Saint Patrick in order to explain the Holy Trinity—the Father (God), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit—to the Irish of the old ages. There is even an Irish phrase—“the wearing of the green”—that means wearing a shamrock on one’s clothing.

Today, the shamrock and the color green appear every Saint Patrick’s Day. During the holiday, both symbols remind people all over the world of  the holiday’s importance and its significance to the Irish people. In addition, St. Patrick’s Day  helps non-Irish people understand a small aspect of Irish culture. Now, with March 17th drawing closer and closer, the two symbols have yet to reappear immerse Sea Kings in the Irish tradition.