Saint Patricks Day has come and passed, and by many this day is seen as a time to relax down the pub and have jolly old knees-up in your local. Traditionally this day is celebrated by the Irish, but due to its popularity many British and American nationals look to get involved in the festivities. But how much do people actually know about St. Patrick's Day? Do they know why it is celebrated and why it originated? Well I am here to find out and show you some of the history behind this popular religious holiday.
St Patrick’s Day Greetings Cards
Saint Patrick's Feast Day was a national day which was celebrated by the Irish around Europe throughout the 9th and 10th centuries. As time progressed Saint Patrick started to become widely recognized as a patron of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was then finally placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church in the early 1600's.
The day is generally a time to celebrate the Irish culture, which is why the day has a distinctly green theme to it (which represents the Irish flag), although originally the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue, but the association with green grew as green ribbons and shamrocks were traditionally worn throughout the 17th century. It is said that Saint Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become an ever-present feature of the day.
The day is so popular that in Ireland it was actually made a national holiday and has been since 1903, so everybody can take some time off work to get involved and enjoy their selves for the day. As previously mentioned, the British and Americans also celebrate the occasion, but they're not the only ones, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even Argentina are among a few that also take part in the celebrations. The countries celebrate the day in different ways which include night long parties, parades, festivals, cultural events and music. Royalty also got involved in the day and in Great Britain the Queen Mother used to present bowls of shamrock flown over from Ireland to the regiment of Irish Guards in the British Army.
The drinks industry reports a massive increase in alcohol sales as a result of the day, and in current times the most popular drink associated with the day is a fresh pint of Guinness. Guinness are able to report global success and profits as part of the worldwide celebrations, and the day has become a marketing triumph for the brand, which are easily the most profitable beverage in the drinks industry throughout the holiday. Many believe that the success of St Patrick's Day in recent times is because of the well-oiled Guinness marketing machine, which promotes the event. Many English and welsh nationals will choose to celebrate the Irish day of culture over their own, with St George's Day and St Davis's Day regularly becoming a very tame affair in comparison.
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