Saint Patrick's day is the Irish feast day in honor of St. Patrick.

The History

Saint Patrick was a religious man who started as a slave. He was born in England around 387 A.D. and then was allegedly kidnapped and brought to Ireland. Patrick began his walk in faith during his time in captivity. Some believe that is also the time when he began his dream of converting the Irish people into Christians. He then returned to Ireland and proceeded to baptize over 12,000 new believers.

St. Patrick used traditional Irish beliefs mixed with the new Christian ways to help the Irish convert to Christianity.

Irish Symbols of St. Patrick's Day

The shamrock was a sacred plant that they symbolized as the rebirth of the spring season. It later became a symbol of Irish pride when the British started to take over.

The Irish used music as a way of passing down history and legends. While Queen Elisabeth I held power, she decreed that all Irish musicians and pipers and the like were to be arrested and hanged .

Corned beef and cabbage is a relatively new and legendary tradition. While cabbage has been a traditional Irish food for ages, corned beef was the cheaper North American substitute for the original Irish bacon.

Leprechauns were meddling "small-bodied fellows" whose only goal was to protect their treasure.

American St. Patrick's Day Traditions

Parades, parties, eating, drinking. We have similar traditions to our Irish counterparts but we've Americanized it.

A number of parades and city-wide parties that riddles the United States is ridiculous.

Savannah , Georgia, for one, is a party hub for down south. The History channel website says that the cities named anything remotely Irish are hot spots for parties, AKA Shamrock, TX; Belfast, ME; and Dublin, CA: to name a few.

Finding a party won't be hard but if you're interested in family affairs for this particular holiday, grab a recipe for corned beef and cabbage. I'm not a fan but it has to be a tradition for some reason.

The Washington Post describes St. Patrick's day festivals as "simultaneously Mardi Gras, a Super Bowl tailgate, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and, yet, an intimate block party all in one."

I personally have never been to one, but social media and news sites make it seem like one of the best holidays to occur during the fiscal year. Parades litter mass populated cities and people turn up in different states and different parts of the country to celebrate with friends.

The Windy City of Chicago dyes it's famous Chicago river green every year in honor of celebrating the famed St. Patrick. Thousands of people watch as the dye takes over miles of river water and others take joy in the surrounding parties.

What are you doing for St. Patrick's day?