Student Article

Every year on March 17, people all over the world wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage, and join in parades to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. But where did these traditions come from?

St. Patrick’s early adventures

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain around the late 300s AD. His real name was Maewyn Succat. At 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped after six years, but later returned as a Catholic missionary, helping to convert the Irish to Christianity. He used the shamrock, a three-leaf plant, to explain the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

How St. Patrick became a legend

Even though St. Patrick was never officially made a saint by the Catholic Church, people in Ireland began honoring him as early as the 600s. The date of his death, March 17, became known as his feast day by the 1630s.

Parades and parties in America

At first, St. Patrick’s Day was a quiet, religious day. But when Irish immigrants moved to America, especially to cities like Boston and New York, they brought their traditions with them. The first parade may have been in Florida in 1601, though Boston claims the first in 1737. By 1762, Irish soldiers in New York were marching in uniform.

Blue before green

The color green wasn’t always linked to St. Patrick — blue was once more common. But green became a symbol of Irish pride during the 1798 rebellion against British rule. Today, green clothes, green hats, and even green rivers — like in Chicago — are part of the fun.

Corned beef and cabbage, the Irish-American twist

And what about the food? Corned beef and cabbage weren’t traditional in Ireland. Beef was expensive there. But in America, Irish immigrants could afford it, so it became a St. Patrick’s Day favorite.

Celebrations worldwide growing bigger

In places like Montserrat in the Caribbean and even New Dublin, Wisconsin, celebrations are still growing today!

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