Before getting into how St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in Spain, let’s talk about what St. Patrick’s actually signifies because, ignorantly, I have only ever related it to Guinness, parades, leprechauns, and every Irish stereotype perpetuated by pop culture and media.Â
Saint Patrick was a patron saint of Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to this country. The stereotype that is perpetuated with St. Patrick’s Day that is most closely related to the patron saint is the three-leaf clover, with which he explained the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and the day’s celebration on March 17th which commemorates his death on this date in 461.
Knowing the origin of the holiday may lead you to question all the drinking, parades, and green we see today. The reasons for these are simple. Since the original celebration was a religious observance of Saint Patrick’s death, which was celebrated during Lent, the food and drinking restrictions were lifted for the day. Moreover, it is said that St. Patrick’s Day parades date back to 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida, when this was still a Spanish colony. Then, in the 18th century, when Irish soldiers of the British military marched into New York, parades officially became an integral part of the holiday in major cities among many Irish immigrants in New York City, Chicago, Boston, etc. Finally, the color originally associated with the holiday was blue, but in the 18th century, green became the color of Irish nationalism against English rule and it stuck as the symbol most closely associated with the St. Patrick’s Day we know today.Â
Honestly, I have never really celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on purpose. The closest I have come to doing so is by reluctantly drinking beer, not even Guinness, if it fell on a day I went out. St Patrick’s isn’t really a big holiday in Puerto Rico, but we’re Boricuas; if there’s a reason to party, we’re there. I know of a four-day festival in the island that’s held during the week of St. Patrick’s, and after writing this, I will make it a point to visit it next year. I’m also very sad to say that I will miss celebrating this holiday in Ireland by a week, but it’s alright because, like Puerto Ricans, the Spanish will also use any excuse to party, even with no real connection to the holiday.Â
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Now, if you are ever in Spain during St. Patrick’s Day, like I am, you won’t get a full, authentic experience, and they don’t exactly celebrate it like Christmas or anything like that. However, you will find at least a couple of Irish pubs and even parades to commemorate the holiday. A few recommendations of Irish pubs I have gotten from madrileñxs have been The Irish Rover, O’Connell, and James Joyce. I have also been told to visit the St. Patrick ‘s parade in Cabo Roig, Alicante, a St. Patrick’s Day lunch in Bilbao, and Ireland Day in Madrid. So rep your green, drink responsibly (or not), and Lá fĂ©ile Pádraig faoi mhaise (Pronounced: Law fay-lih Paw-rig f-we wash-eh and meaning Happy St. Patrick ‘s Day)!Â