This eventually turned into what we now see, which is a large celebration of Irish culture, resilience, and unity. Although it is now known as a large celebration, it used to be a simple religious observance in the church, which included services and a feast in his name. Over time, it has evolved and become a national celebration of Irish heritage. They celebrate this heritage through parades, music, Irish dances, traditional food, and of course, wearing green.
Surprisingly, the first parade actually took place in the United States in Boston in 1737. It was not until 1903 that Ireland had its first parade, which was in Waterford. Another fact that not many people realize is that St. Patrick is not Irish, but was from either Wales or Scotland. He was captured by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was about 16 years old. After six long years of being a slave, he escaped to Britain, but later came back to Ireland as a missionary. The last fun fact is that the colour associated with St. Patrick used to be blue, not green. It changed for many reasons, but the main ones being because of the shamrock's symbolism and Ireland's greenlands.
This tradition is connected to its environment through the well-known plant called the shamrock! Of course, we all know the famous shamrock (seamair óg in Irish) that is used as a symbol for luck and featured on St. Patrick's Day merchandise in stores like Walmart. In Ireland, however, the shamrock symbolizes St. Patrick's way of describing the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Not only is it important because of St. Patrick, but the clover also plays a vital role in Ireland's grassland ecosystems.
