Uncovering the History Behind St. Patrick's Day

Author: Matthew Christ

Around 1 a.m. on Saturday night, I found myself meandering along the social house circuit. But something was not right: a certain foreign accent seemed far more prevalent than the American twang that abounds on campus. I failed to hear the pulsing techno beats and notice that the traditional preppy/pseudo-hippie attire had been replaced by clothing of a single, solid color.

The next afternoon brought me to Burlington for lunch and shopping — and something was not quite right there, either. There were more people than usual milling about Church Street and few people actually seemed to be shopping.

In both places I noticed copious amounts of beer, but beer of a different color.

There is only one holiday that makes everyone rally behind a single ethnic background and causes both cities and small towns alike to dye everything green and go crazy, even on a Sunday. This is, of course, St. Patrick's Day.

One of the social houses, Alpha Delti Phi, celebrated the holiday in style with a traditional Irish folk band and green beer. In Burlington, the Irish pubs were open all day, serving up cheap drinks to revelers who subsequently crashed out of the bars on to Church Street and uproariously made their way to the next watering hole.

Even the hot dog vendors got in on the act — one guy was dressed as a leprechaun with huge red hair, a tall green hat and a long cape.

So what's the point of this holiday? Is it an excuse to indulge in alcoholism for a day and to have grand parades and parties? There has to be some significant history as to why this day makes everyone want to be Irish.

The namesake of the holiday, St. Patrick, was born in 385 A.D. in Wales and became one of the great Christian missionaries in history.

When he was 16, his village was raided and he was sold into slavery. He was in bondage for six years, during which time he became very attached to his Christian beliefs. After escaping, he moved to Gaul where he studied at a monastery and realized his calling to spread Christianity.

The man who was to become St. Patrick then began to act against paganism in an attempt to convert Ireland to Christianity. He motivated Ireland to change its laws to reflect Christian beliefs, and he made the harsher laws more sympathetic to the needs of the poor and slaves. He also brought the Roman alphabet to Ireland.

His actions did not sit well with the Celtic druids, and he was arrested several times. He completed two short works, "Confessio," his autobiography, and "Epistola," a discussion of British mistreatment towards Ireland. He died on March 17, 461.

Common legends surrounding the man and the myth have included stories that St. Patrick raised the dead and that he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland with a sermon from a mountaintop.

Because there are no snakes native to Ireland, most people believe that this legend is probably untrue. But then again, maybe St. Patrick was the reason why the slithering creatures don't exist today.

In the beginning, St. Patrick's Day was a Catholic holiday, but it has since become a secular holiday.

The symbolic shamrock emerged from St. Patrick's explanation of the Holy Trinity, which he saw as separate elements still attached to a greater whole.

As big as St. Patrick's Day is in America, it is bigger and crazier in Ireland. Simon Behan '05, the only Irish citizen and student in Middlebury College history, commented that St. Patrick's Day in Ireland is an "amazing atmosphere, with great emphasis on family — there is never any trouble."

Behan, a Dubin resident, explained that the main streets are shut down for the whole weekend and there is a huge parade. There is a free carnival with rides and games, and the Liffey River, which flows through the center of Dublin, is dyed green.

Behan notes that his favorite part of St. Patrick's Day is "the green Guinness served with a shamrock of foam on top."

In America, the most notable parades occur in Chicago and New York, although the first recorded account of a St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was in Boston in 1737. New York, however, has the longest running parade, which began in 1776 when Irishmen who participated in the Revolutionary War brought the parade to the New World.

Today, no floats or cars are allowed — only marchers and bag pipers. In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green.Today, the history of the holiday seems to be lost amidst the alcohol and partying, but there are still those traditionalists who remember what the celebration is for. For those who are Irish just once a year, perhaps the pints of Guinness should be accompanied with a small history book.