Excited about St. Patrick’s Day?  Me too!

But did you know that the celebration isn’t all about shamrocks and leprechauns and beer?

Here’s a little trip through history:

St. Patty’s day started as a religious celebration to commemorate Saint Patrick himself, but he wasn’t even Irish!  He was born in Roman Britain but kidnapped by Irish pirates and later escaped.  It wasn’t until after his death that he was named Irelands Patron Saint for converting large parts of the population to Christianity during his work as a missionary.

Leprechauns and the shamrock and most things green are recognized as symbols of Ireland, however the color blue was originally associated with Ireland and Saint Patrick himself.

This special day was based on a great feast in honor of the Saint.  Lenten food and alcohol restrictions were temporarily removed for the holiday.  This is why drinking has become synonymous with the day.  Not surprisingly, St. Patrick’s day is the most popular holiday for beer drinking in the United States.

While I have been so wrong about why we celebrate St. Patty’s in the past, the truth is that this holiday bring great joy to many.  So raise your glass to St. Patrick and celebrate this special day!