Happy St Paddy's Day

The one day a year that every person (at least in the US) wants to be Irish. As a person with some Irish heritage, I have the right to poke fun at those that don't. I think it's funny that this day has turned into an excuse to drink heavily and wear green. Especially since St Patrick, being tagged as the guy who brough Christianity to Ireland, would probably frown on heavy drinking. These thoughts made me curious. Why do we celebrate St Pat's the way we do? Since I thought the story was interesting, I'm going to share it with you.

Turns out, it all started with a parade. The Irish have been remembering the day of St Patrick's death (March 17) for thousands of years as a religious occasion. Some Irish guys in New York City serving in the British military (probably against their will) decided to parade through NYC on March 17, 1762 to celebrate their Irish roots. This event grew in popularity over the years as the Irish-American population grew.

Here is the kicker: Up until the 1970's, all the pubs in Ireland were required by law to be closed because it's a religious holiday! In 1995, the Irish government realized that money could be had if they started a St Patrick's Day Festival in Dublin. It is estimated that almost 1 million people celebrated St Pat's Day in Dublin last year.

One more tid bit for you Catholics recognizing Lent. The rules against eating meat were waived so that people could dance, drink, and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

To everyone, have fun today celebrating how great Irish people are!