While many might use this day as an excuse to pinch people that are not wearing green, this holiday is much more than that. St. Patrick’s Day is nearly 400 years old, being born in the year 1631 and is celebrated on March 17 of every year.

Although many people believe that this holiday is for the leprechauns, St. Patrick’s Day is actually a religious holiday. This religious holiday is when the Irish hold a feast in honor of Saint Patrick, hence the name “St. Patrick’s Day.” This makes it a feast day by the Church of Ireland, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. Where they feast on not corned beef and cabbage, but instead foods such as Irish bacon, lamb stew, soda bread, and rhubarb tart. Despite the fact that St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday, it’s also celebrated in America as well with parades. In the 1800s, over one million Irish individuals had immigrated through Ellis Island. Many ended up in a life of poverty due to the discrimination they had faced. As their population grew, they decided to join together and celebrate their dearest saint with a parade that is held on March 17 every year.

Well now you know more about our upcoming holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, which is a lot more than just leprechauns.