By Editorial Staff
SPRINGFIELD – What are you doing on St. Patrick’s Day? Probably, wearing something green, maybe enjoying a green beer, or many, and celebrating the day’s tradition watching a parade. It does seem like we are all Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. It is a great excuse to have fun with friends and family.
The tradition and importance of St. Patrick’s Day dates way back to 1903 when it became a national holiday in Ireland. Ireland as a primarily Catholic country celebrated St. Patrick’s Day as a Holy Day up until this time. Many legends have been associated with St. Patrick over the 20 years he preached in Ireland. One of these is the three leafed shamrock, which it is said he used to explain the Trinity. Today in Ireland, this special day is celebrated with parades and festivals, some lasting for days, celebrating Irish culture. Businesses, Banks and Government offices are all closed. Even Pubs open late and close early. It was not until 1995, that St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated with a national parade in Dublin, as a way to promote tourism.
Many Irish immigrated to the United States in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s due to a famine in Ireland. The US Census has estimated that 34 million U.S. citizens claim Irish heritage. Over the past decades the Irish in America have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day as it has evolved from a holy day celebration to a reason to party.
So, St. Patrick’s Day is this week, and many of us Irish will celebrate with friends and family, but many of our non-Irish friends will be Irish for a day! The color of the day is green, and shamrocks will be on display. We will drink green beer, and possibly eat some corn beef and cabbage. It will be a fun day of celebrating Irish tradition, even though none of this will actually be happening in Ireland. Even though our modern traditions differ from those in Ireland, it is a great reason to have some fun!
So wear green, celebrate, and kiss someone who is Irish!
This editorial was written by Tess Peterson based on a discussion of The Lamp’s editorial board.