In America, everyone claims to be at least somewhat Irish and thus it’s no surprise that March 17th has become a nationally acceptable day to throw down, put on a wacky green leprechaun costume, and drink a bunch of traditionally Irish beers.

It could be worse–you could settle for some mass-produced lager with green food coloring in it, but you won’t hear any of the ACB faithful offering up any such suggestions.

So with all this hubbub surrounding what has practically become a national holiday for some, we have ask just what the hell is this day about anyway?!

Will the Real St. Patrick Please Stand Up?

A little background on our country’s favorite St. Patrick who lived during the fifth century BC, was actually British…

He was kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16 and made to live as a slave for six years in Ireland before escaping and returning home. Although the details of his life are a bit murky, a few different things are universally accepted.

Patrick reached the level of Bishop within the Catholic Church and spent the bulk of his time as a missionary converting the Druids and other pagan disciples of Ireland to Catholicism. By the seventh century, he effectively became the patron saint of Ireland.

There is much folklore surrounding St. Patrick, most notably that he’d driven snakes from the island after being attacked by them, though there’s ample evidence that snakes never inhabited Ireland while he was alive.

And other than us being pretty sure he had no preference between Bushmills vs. Jameson, or Guinness vs. Harp, much of the rest of his life is a bit uncertain beyond his childhood and his work as a missionary.

Early St Patrick’s Day Traditions

In the early 17th Century, the Catholic Church made his accepted date of death, March 17th, an official day of feast and it became a national holiday in Ireland in 1903.

In 1996, it evolved into a three-day festival usually stretches to 5 days and draws a million visitors to parades, concerts, and fireworks every year.

Why Green On Saint Patrick’s Day?

The roots about wearing of the color green on the holiday is also a bit unclear. Sure, Ireland’s flag is green and orange, and it is the Emerald Isle, but it gets more confusing when you consider that the Order of St. Patrick, created in 1783, for some reason decided to choose blue as their official color.

Coming to America

In the 19^th century, Irish immigrants brought the celebration of their vaunted saint to the new world, continuing to hold parades and festivals in his name.

While the remembrance of St. Patrick may be more fervent within the walls of Catholic Church, the secular celebrations in America, so many of them fueled on beer, a huge. Amd although most of those celebrations have been cancelled this year thanks to COVID-19, they’re enshrined and not going anywhere.

From dyeing the river green in Chicago, not to mention the beer, we’re pretty serious about celebrating St Patrick’s Day here in the states.

And while there are historical and spiritual reasons to celebrate the life of a saint who died over 1,500 years ago, it’s pretty clear that Americans find plenty to celebrate on St Patrick Day, whether they’re Irish or not.