History of St. Patrick’s Day
March 14, 2014
Patrick Tally
Green beer, festive parades, Irish music and shamrocks painted on
smiling faces are all part of the great celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. But the
St. Patrick’s Day celebration of the of the 21st Century is a far cry from its
holy origins in the 9th Century, says Patrick Tally, a CU-Boulder historian.
CUT 1 “St. Patrick’s Day, though it officially became Saint’s Day in the 17th
Century, has been celebrated in Ireland as a religious holiday since the 9th or
10th Century (:10)
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland didn’t happen until 1937,
and up until the 1970s pubs were ordered closed and meat dishes were not
served since March 17 usually fell during Lent. Tally says it took a special
church exemption to allow the eating of meat and drinking of alcohol on St.
Patrick’s Day.
CUT 2 “Ireland being a very Catholic country, they had to sort of relax the
rules because St. Patrick’s Day usually falls during Lent. (:08) In previous
centuries, eating of meat was sort of forbidden to Catholics so the ability to
eat meat, to drink alcohol, to have a little bit of a celebration, there sort of
had to be a dispensation so people could do this.” (:21)
And Tally says the St. Patrick’s Day we know today is really an IrishAmerican creation.
CUT 3 “It became celebrated in a different fashion largely by Irish-Americans
as sort of a assertion of their Irish-American heritage and pride as early as the
18th century. (:13)The first parade was actually held in New York City in 1762.
It was held by Irish members of the British Army. (:22) Ever since 1762, there
has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York, so it’s the longest running St.
Patrick’s Day (02:08:07) parade.”(:29)
By the mid-1800s the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was widespread in
America due to the increasing amount of Irish immigrants, says Tally.
CUT 4 “So you have a huge expansion of St. Patrick’s Day spread across the
United States as Irish immigrants spread across the United States. Places in
the Midwest -- Cleveland, Chicago -- begin holding these as an assertion of
Irish-American pride. (:17) And it remained that way through into the 20th
Century and then, of course, became much more commercialized -- these sort
of little green leprechauns and what not. And it’s become much more less of
an Irish holiday and more of a holiday for everybody else” (:34)
And, by the way, if you’re out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day do not make
the mistake of calling it “St. Patty’s Day.” That will raise the ire of many an
Irishman.
According to paddynotpatty.com, “Paddy is derived from the Irish Pádraig,
hence those mysterious, emerald double-Ds. Patty is the diminutive of Patricia,
or a burger, and just not something you call a fella. There is not a sinner in
Ireland that would refer to a Patrick as “Patty”. It’s as simple as that.”
-CU-