The History of St. Patrick’s Day
The Irish have observed St. Patrick’s Day for over 1,000 years and it is a religious holiday in Ireland! On this day during lent where families would traditionally attend church then afterward celebration begins at home with an early morning breakfast feast before heading out onto the streets together as one big happy family.
Who Was St. Patrick?
Ireland is full of amazing history, and there are plenty more stories to be told. The people who live in Ireland have been Christian since the fifth century when Saint Patrick came over as a slave at age 16! He later escaped but returned again with Christianity which became official after he died his natural death during captivity having made many converts along this way.
The life of St. Patrick is steeped in Irish mythology and legend, one that has grown over time to become an integral part of the culture he helped evolve. The most well-known story concerning him involves how he explained Holy Trinity using three leaves from a clover plant: In shamrocks were seen as sacred symbols for travelers on land or sea because they believed it gave them protection against evil spirits along their journey.
When Was the First St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated?
The first Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations took place not in Ireland but right here on American soil when Spanish settlers celebrated their newfound religion with a parade and feast day celebration one hundred years before it became an internationally recognized holiday we know today as “St Patricks’.
The Irish were enthusiastic about their patron saint and it showed in the parades they put on. The more people who knew of this, the bigger and better celebrations became!
Growth of St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations
1848, brought with it a new opportunity for New York City’s Irish population. This year saw many different Aid societies come together in order to unify their parades and form one official St Patrick’s Day Parade which would later become known as “The world’s oldest civilian parade”. Alongside this now-famous event, there were also smaller gatherings that have since developed into big traditions across the world. The city of Boston hosts a parade every year on March 17th. The event starts at 11:00 am and goes until shortly after 1 pm when the crowd has cleared from along the route so that police can close it off for safety reasons. This means only pedestrians are allowed during these times as well! An estimated 600,000 to 1 million people line up to see this celebration in person-and if you’re not one of them…you should really consider visiting Boston Chicago, Philadelphia, and Savannah because there’s no better way than experiencing the love for St. Patrick’s day.
Yolo Pot of Gold Punch
The perfect drink for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration! This refreshing, easy-to-drink punch contains just enough Yolo Gold rum to help you find that pot of wealth at the end of every rainbow.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Yolo Gold Rum
- 1 oz. Blue Curacao
- Orange Juice
Instructions:
- In a rocks glass over ice, pour the Yolo Rum Gold and Blue Curacao Liqueur. Top it off with orange juice and stir slightly.
