St. Patrick's Day, originating as a 17th Century holy day commemorating the death of Ireland's patron saint on March 17th, has become a 21st Century celebration of all things Irish. Modern St. Patrick's Day celebrations reflect anything but a religious holiday commemorating the death of the man who brought Christianity to the pagan Isle. Irish themed commercial products; leprechauns, rainbows, shamrocks, drink and dance provide the backdrop for present-day St. Paddy's day celebrations on the world stage.
St. Patrick's Day, like many present day celebrations, began as a holy day. Historically, the Roman Catholic Church in its efforts to convert pagan cultures without alienating them incorporated non-religious festivals into church observances. Present day Saint Patrick's Day festivities, however, work that process in reverse. St. Patrick's Day was hijacked by secular commercialization and wrested away from the church. St. Paddy's Day, by its less reverent name, began as a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland in the 17th Century, but is now more widely celebrated as a day of Irish fun and frolic.
Until 1903, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a religious holy day. In 1903, by act of Parliament, the day became a national holiday known as the Bank Holiday. By law, pubs were closed on March 17, allowing for serious and "proper" observance of St. Patrick's Day. This act was repealed in the 1970s, beginning the shift from religious observance to what we now know as a worldwide secular celebration of "all things Irish" on St. Patrick's Day.
The Church of Ireland, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, in Ireland still observe St. Patrick's Day as a religious holiday. However, the world tends to treat it more as a Mardi Gras revival in the middle of Lent, enjoying an additional day of fun and frolic with an Irish flair. Dispensations from Lenten commitments worldwide flow as freely as Irish ale on St. Paddy's Day. Irish culture, Irish identity, and Irish folklore hijacked the once religious celebration, making it a day of partying with a green Irish theme.
Like Mardi Gras' evolution into a lengthy worldwide party prior to Ash Wednesday, St. Patrick's Day also has evolved from a day of religious observance to a worldwide party. Lasting days and weeks in some places, St. Patrick's Day gives the world an Irish stage for continued celebration. In the mid-1900s, the Irish government capitalized on the holiday to commercialize Ireland on the world market, beginning what is now known as the "Saint Patrick's Festival."
Held first in 1996 as a one-day event, the Saint Patrick's Festival in Ireland has grown into a week long enterprise. This commercialization of Ireland to the world has contributed significantly to the evolution of St. Patrick's Day from a day of commemorating St. Patrick into a day of celebrating the Irish culture in general. The sale of St. Paddy greeting cards, green clothing, Irish party favors, and Irish food and drink generate millions of dollars in revenue annually as part of the shift from religious to commercial celebration of the day.
The "wearing of the green" originated with the pinning of a shamrock to one's lapel as a symbol of Irish loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church. St. Patrick is famed to have explained the three distinct leaves of the shamrock as a visual aid to symbolize the "trinity" in converting the Irish pagans to Christianity. Over time, the shamrock, associated with St. Patrick's missionary efforts, evolved into a symbol of faith in Ireland. As time passed, the wearing of the green evolved into celebrating all things Irish and green on St. Patrick's Day.
The world loves to party. When it comes to reasons, we only need a stage on which to play the parts, as Shakespeare might say. The Saint Patrick's Festival, originating in Ireland as a showcase of all things Irish, set that stage for the worldwide celebration of the green. Irish folklore and culture, ranging from shamrocks to rainbows, now dominate the "all things Irish" drama known as St. Patrick's Day.