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St. Patrick's Day is celebrated to honor the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. It is a religious holiday observed on the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. Ireland was a pagan country before St. Patrick arrived. Ireland became in time a very religious country and St. Patrick's Day was almost as important a holy day as Christmas or Easter.

But St. Patrick's Day has become a global celebration of all things Irish and many people who celebrate do not even go near a church on that day. The heavy migration from Ireland is one reason for this. The Irish left Ireland and spread themselves around the globe, predominantly in America and Australia.

In their new countries, they formed fellowships and fraternal groups. They joined the armies and navies and became citizens. They eventually realized that they needed to join political groups to gain power as some had been discriminated against. The army regiments and fraternal groups began marching on St. Patrick's Day and were joined by other groups. Eventually, political leaders became involved with this large voting block. They marched as Irish men and women and supporters of the Irish. Green became the color to wear and "Kiss me, I'm Irish" buttons and green carnations were sold out. All of this led to St. Patrick's Day becoming an Irish holiday rather than a religious holiday.

During all of this time, in rural Ireland, it was still a day to go to Mass and have a family dinner. Green didn't have to be worn unless your Sunday best happened to be green. There were no buttons or flowers, just a bunch of shamrocks pinned on lapels. The shamrock was worn because it was demonstrated by St. Patrick as a symbol of the Holy Trinity when he taught the foundation of Christianity to the pagan Irish. It is still a holy day of obligation for Catholics and observed in Ireland as a national and religious holiday.

But Ireland has become more secular. The population of Ireland is very young and less religious than their elders. St. Patrick's Day has become a rowdier celebration for them. Sometimes the saint who brought religion to the country is forgotten. The country chapels are still filled with families and older people on that morning but the pubs are overflowing later in the day.

In America, 35 million people claim Irish heritage and they wear green and proclaim their pride in their heritage. Some march in parades and end up in pubs and restaurants partying until the wee hours. Some go to church and have a dinner of corned beef and cabbage and watch "The Quiet Man" or another Irish movie. It is a day when the Irish are proud and they do acknowledge the man who started it all but they also acknowledge the land their ancestors left in poverty and hunger to make a new life overseas.

Learn more about this author, Brigid Ismail.
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