St. Patrick’s Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, will be on Sunday.
The day is celebrated every March 17 because it is the date of St. Patrick’s death. People wear green to celebrate, and if you don’t, you’ll get pinched by more people than there are stars in the sky.
Irish families traditionally go to church in the morning and celebrate the holiday in the afternoon.
St. Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is a patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in 386 C.E. The saint was kidnapped and sent to Ireland as a slave, but he later escaped and was credited to bring Christianity to Ireland.
Over 100 St. Patrick’s Day celebratory parades are held in the U.S. every year. The cities of New York and Boston are the biggest hosts of these parades.
Falcon News asked Elmira High School students and staff: “What have you always wondered about this day?”
Ninth-grader Brayden Huston wants to know, “Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a holiday?”
This day is originally celebrated with religious feasts and services. St. Patrick’s Day became a secular celebration of Irish culture when it reached the United States along with Irish immigrants.
EHS librarian Tessa Slager says, “I would like to know more about the legend behind St. Patrick’s Day.”
The legend states that St. Patrick was undertaking a 40-day fast on top of a mountain in Ireland when he was attacked by snakes. Using his staff, St. Patrick banished all the snakes of Ireland into the sea, and from that day Ireland was a land that was free of snakes.
Senior Zechariah Robertson wonders, “What do people in Norway do for St. Patrick’s Day?”
People in Norway have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a parade ever since 2000 in Oslo. The community in Norway promotes cultural activities and encourages participation and questions.
Senior Tyson Hamner is curious about, “Why do people pinch you on St. Patrick’s Day if you don’t wear green?”
You get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day for not wearing green because green makes you invisible to leprechauns. According to the legend, leprechauns like to pinch people just because they can.
Freshman Dayton Imbler wonders, “Where do the leprechauns go after St. Patrick’s Day?”
According to YourIrish.com, the mythical leprechaun “can only be found in Ireland, in rural areas, away from the general population,” and is said to burrow in caves or the trunk of a “Fairy Tree.” He’s also an expert musician.
