It is believed that St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
Once a pagan, St. Patrick is one of
Christianity's most famous figures. The modern holiday is based on the original
saint's feast day also thought to be the date of St Patricks death. In the late 18th century, Irish
immigrants to the United States
started observing the holiday publicly in Boston
and in 1766 the 1st annual St. Patrick's Day Parade was held in New York City. The tradition continues today with people of heritages
by eating Irish food, wearing green scrubs, and going to parades. St. Patrick's Day is bursting with folklore -- from the leprechaun
to the shamrock!
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th, the saints religious
feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have
observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years. On St.
Patrick's Day, which falls during Lent, Irish families traditionally attend
church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions
against the consumption of meat were typically waived and people would eat, dance,
and drink.
Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada,
and Australia.
Although North America is home to the
largest events, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far
from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore,
and even Russia.
In modern-day Ireland,
St. Patrick's Day is still a religious occasion. Until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs
be closed on the 17th of March. Beginning in 1995, the Irish government began
a campaign to use St. Patrick's Day to drive increased tourism and showcase Ireland to the world.
Last year, almost a million people participated
in Irelands St. Patrick's
Festival in Dublin,
a multi-day celebration with parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions,
and fireworks shows.
Go for the Green! Celebrate St
Patty's Day and choose from the selection below to start your St Patrick's Day scrubs
shopping:
St. Patrick's Day Scrubs
