The spiritual patron of the Irish around the world, Saint Patrick is celebrated every year on March 17th. Saint Patrick's Day actually commemorates the date of the year 461, the day the Christian bishop Patricius died.
However, the commemoration is transformed into a vibrant celebration full of positive energy that transcends religious and cultural boundaries. It's not even just a celebration of the Irish anymore – all nationalities enjoy the Irish party spirit.
In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day was marked by elaborate processions only in the last two centuries. The Catholic Church introduced this holiday into the calendar in the 1903th century, and starting in XNUMX it was decided that Saint Patrick's Day would become the National Day of the Republic of Ireland.
According to the stpatricksfestival.ie website, the government of this country took the initiative to organize the St. Patrick's Festival in 1996. Since then, annually, hundreds of thousands of people attend the events in Dublin.
From a one-day event, the St. Patrick came to encompass up to four days of music, theater, visual arts and other types of performances and public activities. It has become a festival with global reach, one of the best known internationally.
For many years, even in Bucharest and other cities in Romania, on or around March 17, there are events dedicated to St. Patrick's Day, especially in pubs, bars, restaurants and night clubs. People are encouraged to wear green, and the menu has an Irish twist.
The Irish spirit developed most strongly on American soil
Paradoxically, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was not held in Ireland, but in the United States of America. The Irish immigrants who arrived on the American continent thus wanted to preserve their traditions, to preserve their national spirit. In New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Savannah and other locations in the USA, various events in honor of Saint Patrick have been organized since the 17th - 18th centuries.
In the 19th century and in the 20th century, when very many Irish people immigrated to United States of America, St. Patrick's Day took on much larger dimensions in American cities where there were thus large Irish communities. One of the most beloved modern traditions, which began in 1962, is that of the green coloring of the waters of the Chicago River.
Now even in Asia and Australia St. Patrick's Day is celebrated. Popular St. Patrick's Day recipes include Irish Baking Soda Bread, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Special Mashed Potatoes. Irish drinks are also in the foreground.
Irish symbols. The presence of the Leprechaun in modern entertainment
The best-known symbols of the Irish holiday are the color green, the shamrock and the leprechaun. The Irish name for this figure of Irish folklore is 'lobaircin', meaning 'little man'. This appearance of goblins probably stems from the Celtic belief in fairies, according to history.com. Elves, with magical powers, can serve both good and evil, the Irish believe.
The Leprechaun character also appears in some films dealing with this subject. Very well known is the American fantasy horror film series Leprechaun, released in 1993 and continued until the film Leprechaun Returns in 2018. The first video game in the category, Leprechaun, was an arcade video game produced by Enter-Tech in 1982.
Currently, game enthusiasts can choose for example the title Leprechaun Shadow, also available on the Steam platform. Leprechauns who hide their gold in a bucket at the end of the rainbow are also humorously presented in online slots such as Playtech's Leprechauns Luck or Play'n GO's Leprechaun Goes Egypt, popular titles also on online casino Romania.
Who was St. Patrick
Maewyn Succat, who later became St. Patrick, was born around 385 in Britain, then part of the Roman Empire. He was kidnapped and taken to Ireland, where he was held captive for a time. After spending several years in a monastery, he became a Christian missionary – deacon, priest and bishop. He took the name of Patricius, and his ultimate mission was to Christianize his Irish people.
Photo source canva.com
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