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Each year on March 17, millions of people across the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, donning green, watching parades, and enjoying traditional foods. But beneath the shamrocks and festivities lies a rich and complex history.

St. Patrick’s early adventures

Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, was born as Maewyn Succat in Roman Britain in the late 4th Century. At age 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and enslaved. After six years, he escaped and returned home. Strengthened by his faith, he later returned to Ireland as a Catholic missionary, using symbols like the shamrock to explain Christian beliefs such as the Holy Trinity.

How St. Patrick became a legend

By the 7th Century, Patrick had become a legendary figure, though he was never formally canonized. Stories grew, like the famous tale of him driving snakes out of Ireland — likely a metaphor for eliminating paganism. March 17, the supposed date of his death, was officially added to the Catholic breviary in the 1630s as the Feast of St. Patrick.

Parades and parties in America

While early Irish celebrations were modest, Irish immigrants in America transformed the holiday into a secular celebration of Irish identity. Evidence suggests that the first parade might have occurred in 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida, while Boston and New York claim early 18th-Century festivities. By 1762, Irish soldiers in New York marched with pride, and over time St. Patrick’s Day parades became symbols of unity, particularly among Irish Catholics.

Blue before green

The color blue, not green, was first linked with Patrick. Early images depicted him in blue, and Irish coats of arms used blue symbols. However, by the late 18th Century, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, green emerged as a symbol of nationalism and was adopted in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, eventually replacing blue.

Corned beef and cabbage, the Irish-American twist

Interestingly, corned beef and cabbage, now a holiday staple, wasn’t traditionally Irish. Under British rule, beef was expensive and associated with the upper class. However, with lower salt taxes, Ireland became a hub for salted beef exports. In America, where beef was more affordable, Irish immigrants adopted corned beef with cabbage and potatoes as a festive meal. Even President Abraham Lincoln ate it at his 1861 inauguration.

Celebrations worldwide growing bigger

Today, celebrations range from the quirky — like Hot Springs, Arkansas’s 98-foot parade — to the spectacular, such as Chicago’s dyed-green river, a tradition that began in 1962 using 40 pounds of eco-safe vegetable dye. In Montserrat, the holiday honors both Irish settlers and a failed revolt of enslaved people in 1768.

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