Leprechauns, Shamrocks and Snakes, Oh My! Everything you didn’t know about the history of St. Patrick’s Day
Image source: care2.com
St. Patrick’s Day: Otherwise known as the day when the world becomes inescapably green and shamrock-festooned, and drinking massive quantities of beer is suddenly socially acceptable. But where do all of these traditions come from, and what do they actually have to do with St. Patrick?
Who was St. Patrick anyway?
Saint Patrick was, ironically enough, not actually Irish. He was born in Roman Britain sometime in the 5th century to aristocratic Christian parents. According to his autobiographical writing, the Confessio, he was captured by pirates as a teenager and taken to Ireland as a slave: it was during his captivity that he turned to Christianity, becoming deeply religious. After six years, he escaped Ireland after hearing a voice directing him to do so. But in 432 AD he felt called – again, by a voice– to become a priest, take up the Christian name Patrick, and return to Ireland to work as a missionary. It was through this missionary work that he became known as the “Apostle of Ireland” and the country’s patron saint. He’s credited with converting thousands to Catholicism, as well as building schools and monasteries along the north and west coasts of Ireland. After his death on March 17, 461 AD, he faded into obscurity until Irish Catholics began celebrating his feast day in the Middle Ages.
But why do we celebrate it?
Until 1737, St. Patrick’s Day remained a minor Irish religious holiday– but in that year the Charitable Irish Society of Boston held a feast and religious service to help colonists celebrate and reconnect with their Irish heritage; the tradition spread through the states from there, gaining widespread popularity. For Catholics observing lent, St. Patrick’s day also offers a church-sanctioned reprieve and dispensation to enjoy meat, alcohol, and festivities otherwise prohibited during this period of sobriety and repentance.
Why Shamrocks? Saint Patrick was known for using the three-leafed clover to illustrate the Holy Trinity, but the significance of the shamrock probably predates christianity. The number three also had important and mystical connotations in Irish religion and folklore.
Did Saint Patrick really banish all the snakes from Ireland? That would have been quite the impressive feat, given that there were never any snakes in Ireland to begin with, according to National Geographic. Apparently the cold water around Ireland prevented any snakes from migrating over from neighboring Britain. More likely, since snakes often represent evil in literature and myth, the story symbolizes St. Patrick’s work to drive out old pagan beliefs and religious practices.
Saint Patrick’s Day things that have nothing to do with Saint Patrick:
Leprechauns: These mischievous Irish spirits are actually a relic of Celtic religious traditions; legends of leprechauns have remained in folklore long after paganism gave way to Christianity. According to historian and scholar Peter Quinn, common features of the American leprechaun– the pug nose, raised fist, and old, battered coat and hat– were originally negative stereotypes deployed against Irish immigrants, particularly in cartoons. The original Irish spirit is less “frivolous”, and more closely connected to iron age spiritual beliefs.
The Color Green: Apparently the color associated with Saint Patrick was originally not green at all, but a particular shade of blue (even called “St. Patrick’s blue). The association with green probably stemmed from the shamrock (no pun intended) as well as the general green-ness of the Emerald Isles. During the United Irish Uprising of 1798, green shamrocks and their association with the country’s saint became a symbol of Irish nationalistic pride, and the color eventually spread from the shamrock to entirely green garments.
Parades: This distinctly American tradition began in 1762, when a group of Irish soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War marched several blocks through New York to– you guessed it– a pub. Since then, St. Patrick’s Day parades have become a major feature of the holiday in the US, and a demonstration of Irish cultural pride, particularly in cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, and Savannah.
Corned Beef and Cabbage: In Ireland, boiled bacon and potatoes were much more likely to take center stage. The adoption of corned beef began when Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine in the 1840s settled in cities like New York: these families often couldn’t afford to eat meat except on special occasions, so to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day they might prepare brisket (the cheapest cut of meat, tenderized in brine) mixed with cabbage, the cheapest vegetable. This combination, dictated by necessity, became inextricably associated with the holiday. Other iconic St. Patty’s Day foods include Irish soda bread, potatoes, shepherd’s pie, sausage, and black and white pudding.
Image source: Food.com
Get in the Saint Patrick’s Day spirit with traditional recipes:
Irish Soda Bread: Made quickly and easily with only a few simple ingredients, Irish soda bread was a family staple, baked daily, often on an open griddle. A cross cut into the top before baking was meant to ward off the devil and protect the household. Here’s the version I’ll be making this year.
Image source: recipehubs.com
Colcannon: This quintessentially Irish combination of potatoes and cabbage screams St. Patrick’s Day. It’s traditional for cooks to hide small tokens of good luck in the dish. Find an extra-healthy version of the classic comfort food here.
Image source: thedrinkblog.com
Grasshopper: this minty-green cocktail is sure to have you feeling festive in no time! Who knows, maybe it will even attract a leprechaun or two?