Ah, St. Patrick's Day is here once again. This holiday is known for the green Chicago river, lots of Guinness, and shamrocks everywhere. But why is it that this holiday is full of seemingly odd traditions? First, what is St. Patrick's Day all about?
St. Patrick, a British man born into a religious family but an atheist in his early life, was captured by Irish pirates at the age of 16 and had rediscovered his faith in Ireland during his captivity. He had escaped and returned home after seventeen years of being a slave, but eventually decided to return to Ireland as a missionary. St. Patrick died on March 17, which is why the holiday is celebrated on that day.
Now, let's jump into these five strange traditions!
1. Turning the Chicago River green
During St. Patrick's Day, it will be impossible not to be drowned in a sea of green. But why green? While blue used to be the official holiday color, green became a much more popular color due to the Irish flag and the color of the shamrock. There's also a legend that if you wear green on the holiday, you're invisible to leprechauns and won't get pinched!
So why is the Chicago river dyed green every St. Patrick's Day? This tradition was started by the Butler and the Rowan families over fifty years ago--but there's no real behind the dyeing of the river beside being festive.
2. Leprechauns
Leprechauns are definitely the strangest part of this holiday. The only reason they are a celebratory part of St. Patrick's Day is because they are Irish--that's all! However, if you don't wanna get pinched by a sneaky leprechaun you'd better wear green!
3. LOTS of alcohol...usually Guinness
4. Shamrocks
Shamrocks were often used to explain the Holy Trinity--the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Eventually, after hearing St. Patrick's message, entire kingdoms were converted to Christianity. Nowadays, shamrocks are often worn and used as decoration in the spirit of the holiday.
5. Parades
Parades are, without a doubt, the greatest part of St. Patrick's Day! While St. Patrick's Day originally began as a religious holiday, the Irish Americans soon turned it into a celebratory holiday. New York City hosted the first St. Patrick's Day parade in 1762 and it's been a tradition ever since.
