Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, falls on Monday.
The holiday is a day of celebration for Saint Patrick who is known as the patron saint of Ireland and the Apostle of Ireland.
The day was originally a religious feast day. Today it is more frequently marked by drinking Irish beer and eating corned beef and cabbage or green bagels.
Saint Patrick was born in the Fourth Century in Roman Britain. Later on he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and enslaved in Ireland. He eventually escaped and became a Christian missionary. He is believed to have converted much of Ireland to Christianity.
There are legends that say that Saint Patrick drove snakes and venomous beasts out of Ireland as well as using a shamrock to explain to people the Christian Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
People can be found on Saint Patrick’s Day going to pubs and drinking a pint of Guinness beer, one of Ireland’s most famed beers. People can be seen dressing in green attire so they do not find themselves getting pinched for not wearing green.
Entire cities have gone all out for Saint Patrick’s Day with Chicago, Illinois dyeing the Chicago River green.
Even university fraternities have come up with a party weekend titled St. Fratty’s in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day.
Though Saint Patrick’s Day began as a solemn holiday to remember Saint Patrick, it has evolved into much more. It has evolved into a day of festivities that unites us all and for one day, we all possess the Irish spirit.
—Karina Rodriguez
Karina Rodriguez is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and editor-in-chief of the Campus Times. She has previously served as sports editor, social media editor, arts editor and a staff writer.
