St. Patricks Day: More than just Leprechauns and Lager
NEIRAD enilno edition
One would think corned beef and cabbage would be popping up on restaurant menus around town on March 17, especially because, according to City-Data.com’s profile on Darien, Irish descendents make up approximately 20% of Darien. Yet, St. Patrick’s Day is not one of the prevailing holidays celebrated in town. To the Irish, it is a holiday that holds a special place in their culture and history, but to the greater percentage of Darienites, it is a holiday associated solely with leprechauns, beer, and four-leaf clovers. Neirad took a deeper look into what makes March 17th unique to the Irish and Celtic culture.
So who was St. Patrick? He is the patron-saint of Ireland and though he is mostly known for banishing all snakes from Ireland, he actually did nothing of the sort. Born in Britain in the fourth century, St. Patrick grew up not leading a particularly religious life. However, when St. Patrick was taken prisoner by raiders and held in captivity in Ireland, St Patrick turned to Christianity for salvation. After escaping, he spoke about the religious revelations and messages he had received directly from God. The holiday commemorates him on the day of St Patrick’s death on March 17, 460 AD.
Why do we associate four-leaf-clovers with the holiday? The four-leaf-clover, or shamrock, is the symbol of spring and rebirth for the Celts. It later became a symbol of Irish heritage and nationalism. Today, the Irish wear this symbol with pride.
What exactly is a leprechaun? The name “leprechaun” comes from the Irish word “lobaircin” which means “small-bodied fellow”. In Celtic folklore, these “fellows” were portrayed as menacing tricksters who meddled with peoples’ shoes and hoarded their treasure. Though they were an Irish folk character, it was the Americans who began associating leprechauns with St. Patrick’s Day with the 1959 Disney movie, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People”. The film portrayed leprechauns as merry characters and shortly thereafter, the short-legged, top-hat bearing, spunky lad became the face of St. Patrick’s Day.
How is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated? Countries around the world have embraced St. Patrick’s Day in their own ways. In Argentina, citizens celebrate in the streets until around 7am. In Canada, the longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade has occurred in Montreal since 1824. In the United States, several parades are held in major cities, the closest one to Darien being in New Haven and New York City. The majority of St. Paddy’s Day festivities remain somewhat consistent no matter where the celebration takes place. It is typical that the holiday be one of all-night partying, drinking, and parading. People wear green to show their spirit and those not adorning the color are subject to pinching.
Junior Chris Stile is Irish on both sides of his family, making him 75% Irish. His family, in pure Irish fashion, “drinks and has a family dinner” to celebrate the holiday. Junior Jamie Muehring, who is 100% Irish, has a similar tradition. “We usually just have a family meal and call our relatives in Ireland,” Muehring said. “In Ireland [the holiday] is a big deal, especially for people in Northern Ireland,” he added.
