Monday, March 17, is St Patrick’s Day or St Paddy’s Day — as it is known affectionately in Ireland. It is also the national day of the Irish. Well, nearly.
This year, however, St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland will be moved two days forward to March 15.
This is because March 17, 2008, falls on the second day of Holy Week and Holy Week takes priority over other feasts.
St Patrick’s Day in Ireland has only once ever been moved and that was in 1940 when St Patrick’s Day clashed with Palm Sunday.
Still, what’s in a date? There is always time to be merry.
When we think about St Patrick’s Day, the first things that spring to mind are parades and the colour green, represented in everything from shamrocks (three-leaf clover) to the refreshments served in local joints.
Religious origin
Yet the day has a religious background.
Legend has it that St Patrick was born in the southwest of England in 385 (an estimation) and was captured by marauders when he was 16.
He was shipped to Ireland, where he spent his captivity as a shepherd.
During this time, he became close to God, so much so that he, apparently, had a vision that he would find a ship and would use it to escape.
He did just that and found himself in northern France, where he began to study in a monastery.
After 12 years, he felt the call to go back to Ireland.
He was appointed the bishop to Ireland, only the second bishop to hold this office in Ireland.
When explaining the Holy Trinity to people, he used the shamrock as an example of how three different elements could be part of one entity.
After many years of good work and, apparently, ridding Ireland of all its native snakes, St Patrick died on March 17, 461.
This day has been celebrated ever since.
The way the day is celebrated has changed since the tradition first came to the United States with European settlers.
Mixed bag
Like many traditions before it, St Patrick’s Day was also mixed up with other customs and beliefs to form a whole new way of celebrating.
The first-ever St Patrick’s Day parade was supposedly held in Boston in 1737 and was a chance for Irish soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War to show off their marching skills and connect with their Irish roots.
Now, even in Ireland, where the majority of people still commemorate the day by going to church, the annual parade is part of the merrymaking.
It is virtually compulsory that everybody wears something green.
Green, along with orange and white, is one of the national colours of Ireland. It also symbolises spring, which officially starts just a few days after the date.
The city is covered in shamrocks, leprechauns and anything green. The drinks are green, bagels have a green tinge and even fountains spurt green water.
However, the most spectacular sight must be the Empire State Building — illuminated in green.
Whatever the attitude to the approach of the slightly exaggerated American celebrations, no one has ever accused the Irish of needing an excuse to party — and what better reason than a holiday celebrated worldwide?
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
— Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey is a UAE-based freelance writer
St Paddy in Dubai
- The Dubai Irish Society held the annual St Patrick’s Ball at the Park Hyatt on March 13.
- The Irish Village at the Aviation Club will host its annual party, complete with buffet, live music, Irish dancers and craft shop full of orange and green items, from 6pm until late night on March 17.
- Most hotels will have a special menu and celebrations on March 17.
Figure this
- 36 million: The number of American citizens who claim Irish ancestry.
- 4: The number of places in the US named Shamrock.
- 9: The number of places in the US that share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin.
- 1762: The year that saw the world’s largest parade in New York.
- 150,000 marchers joined the NYC parade in 2003.
- 1940 was the last time St Patrick’s Day was moved because of Palm Sunday.
