On March 17th, many countries all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, a day that was founded to acknowledge the patron saint of Ireland. While the history is not very stylish, we certainly want to be in style now. From wearing green to marching in parades to eating corned beef and cabbage, this holiday is spent partying the day away.
St. Patrick is known for bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. Possibly the most well-known anecdote about him is that he used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. While the holiday used to be religious, in the 1990’s the Irish government decided to use the holiday to spread Irish culture and increase tourism.
The first celebration took place in Boston in 1737 when Irish Protestants wanted to honor the saint of their homeland by gathering together. In 1762, the first parade took place in New York City when Irish soldiers serving the English military marched through the city play music. Nowadays, the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Manhattan is considered the oldest and largest parade celebrating St. Patrick.
Rather than stay home, if you are wanting to get away, there are many places in the United States whose names embody the Irish spirit. They include, but are not limited to, Mount Gay-Shamrock, WV; Shamrock, TX; Shamrock Lakes, IN; and Shamrock, OK; Dublin, CA; Dublin, OH; Emerald Isle, North Carolina, and Irishtown, Illinois. But nothing beats spending the holiday in the homeland itself. Approximately one million people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day over the course of several days with parades, concerts, fireworks, and outdoor theater shows.
St Patrick’s Day Clover Cookie
As with many holidays, food is a large part of the day. Traditionally, the main dish served on St. Patrick’s Day is corned beef and cabbage. Irish soda bread is a common bread that is found in many Irish households and is named for is unconventional use of baking soda rather than yeast as a leavening agent. Fun treats to make are pretzel and chocolate shamrocks, shamrock cupcakes, green pancakes, and cookies shaped like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Whether it be a full-on party after the parade or just a dinner at home, having a cute treat does not hurt. Many tips and tricks to make these treats can be found on Pinterest (my personal go-to place!).
Speaking of home, why not add some festive decorations to jazz the place up? As the floral emblem if Ireland, the shamrock is an excellent icon to display. From wreaths to dessert, shamrocks are an easy and festive item to celebrate with. Using the three leaf clover, any regular piece of decoration becomes instantly transformed. For example, by using a plain clear vase, filling it with shamrocks, and tying a ribbon around the neck, a typical object most people have is converted into a St. Paddy’s Day centerpiece! Lime green chrysanthemums are another flower that are often requested and displayed for the holiday. Add a few into a wreath, tie some gold ribbons, and there you have a quick and easy St. Patrick’s Day wreath to hang on your front door.
And of course we cannot forget about physical appearance. Green green green everything! From shirts to shoes to nails, half the fun on St. Patrick’s Day is dressing the part. Common things that people do is wear leprechaun hats, shirts with puns, and sparkly makeup. Gold is another color typically thrown in due to the symbolic pot of gold at the end of the rainbow motif. Green, orange, and white are the colors of Ireland’s flag so orange and white are also often seen. Whatever type of clothing you prefer, be it dresses, pants, sneakers, heels, choosing a variation of these four colors is spot on for dressing for the day. Adding a funny accessory, such as a leprechaun hat like earlier mentioned or big, green, sparkly, sunglasses could add an element of humor and fun to any outfit.
Overall, St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday rooted in history, though has become a huge partying event. Celebrated all over the world, it is a day of family, friends, and having fun. These tips for adding stylish decor are just a few out of the many that can be done to create the perfect St. Paddy’s Day celebration.
