How America Invented St. Patrick’s Day
Zócalo Public SquareImmigration and nativism transformed a quiet religious celebration into a day of raucous parades and shamrock shakes.
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Immigration and nativism transformed a quiet religious celebration into a day of raucous parades and shamrock shakes.
Facts about Patrick’s life and work are as misty as Ireland's mountains, and they’re mingled (or mangled) with folklore and legend.
The three-leaf clover is what everyone wears, but what species is it?
A historian who has written two books on St. Patrick literally couldn’t think of anything to add to the page.
Green beer is the delicious treat that many drink (and drink and drink) on Saint Patrick’s Day. But the most colorful beer is not an Irish tradition: it’s an American-born innovation that requires a lot of moxie and a little blue food coloring.
The rise and fall and rise of the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal.
Legend has it that, back in the fifth century A.D., St. Patrick exterminated Ireland’s snakes by driving them into the sea. He would appear to have done a thorough job, because Ireland is free of native snakes to this day. Except, Ireland never actually had snakes.
It all goes down during an annual St. Patrick’s Day ceremony at the White House.
Most people don’t realize that the beloved thriller is a “Saint Patrick’s Day movie,” or even what that means, but it is. Oh, it is.
“As a medieval historian, I suggest that we also pause to remember another of Ireland’s patron saints, the nurturing, compassionate St. Brigid.”
The 50-year-old formula is kept under lock and key.
No matter the nature of your St. Patrick’s Day traditions, great food is an absolute must. From classic (and not-so-classic) soda breads to stout-battered onion rings and corned beef galore, these 19 Irish-inflected dishes and cocktails will keep you well-fed all day long.