St. Patrick's Day - Irish or American holiday?
As St. Patrick's Day approaches and cities across the United States prepare for parades and celebrations, have you ever wondered how St Patrick's Day is celebrated in Ireland? The St. Patrick's Day holiday - is it Irish or American?
In Ireland, Saint Patrick's feast day was celebrated as early as the ninth and tenth centuries. Throughout the years, Saint Patrick began to be more widely known as the patron of Ireland. In the early 1600s, Saint Patrick's Day became a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics.
It was in 1903 that St. Patrick's Day was recognized as an official public holiday in Ireland. The first Saint Patrick's Day parade was in Dublin in 1931. In 1996, the first Saint Patrick's Festival was held on March 17th. This festival has grown into a five day festival.
In the United States, St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture. The first observance of St. Patrick's Day was in Boston in the Thirteen Colonies. New York first celebrated St. Patrick's Day in 1762. In 1780, General George Washington granted his troops a holiday on March 17th. This event later became known as The St. Patrick's Day Encampment of 1780.
In 1991, the U.S. Congress proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month. Now, Irish and non-Irish alike celebrate. Celebrations include religious ceremonies, parades, eating, drinking, and wearing the color green. From New York City to Dublin, CA, from Portland, OR to Riverside, TX to Tampa, FL, parades, events, and celebrations will be all across the United States. Irish or American - Will you be celebrating St. Patrick's Day?
While getting in the spirit of the day, here's a St. Patrick's Day Video for you to enjoy!
Photo Source: Leprachaun's Hats: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Comments(18)