Did you know that the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not held in Ireland, but rather in New York City in 1762? After numerous Irish Societies in New York City decided to join together for the annual parade, it became the largest civilian parade in the country still holding the title today. There are over 150,000 participants with almost three million people lining the 1.5 mile parade route.
As we all know, the leprechaun and the shamrock are the most notable symbols surrounding this special day. The idea of the leprechauns actually came from the Celtic belief in fairies, where the leprechauns were tricky and cranky little creatures responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. With the release of Walt Disney’s movie, Darby O’Gill & the Little People, the leprechauns were given a new disposition and became known as a friendly group. From that point on, the leprechaun has become the most widely recognized symbol of St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland in general.
Second to the leprechaun in prominence is the shamrock, which was highly regarded in Ireland in ancient times because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. As the years went by it became a symbol of Irish nationalism, and by the seventeenth century the Irish began wearing shamrocks to symbolize their heritage when the English began outlawing the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism.
Of course, I can’t go without mentioning the food associated with the holiday. For St. Patrick’s Day it is all about corned beef and cabbage. The true traditional meal on St. Patrick’s Day was actually Irish bacon and cabbage until the turn of the century. A few Irish immigrants in New York City simply substituted corned beef for the bacon to save some money and ended up changing the tradition to what we now know it as today.
I wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and I hope you and yours get to enjoy the holiday festivities! Here is a little Irish Blessing to part with…
These things I warmly wish to you-
Someone to love
Some work to do
A bit o’ sun
A bit o’ cheer
And a guardian angel always near.
