With green beaded necklaces and shamrocks on the shelves in stores, it’s clear that St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner.
St. Patrick’s Day, always on March 17, is a widely celebrated public holiday. In fact, it’s more celebrated than any other national festival. A common way to observe the holiday is to wear green — and be pinched if not wearing green.
St. Patrick’s Day settled itself as a holiday a whopping 12 centuries ago, on March 17, 1631, when the church established a feast day honoring St. Patrick. This day celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish.
Anyone can celebrate this holiday, though it’s officially recognized by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church. Along with celebrating the heritage of the Irish, this day also celebrates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have been criticized for having become too commercialized and for fostering negative stereotypes of Irish people.
Falcon News asked some staff and students for their opinions on the rather lucky holiday, which is Friday.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? How?
“We do celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. We do the typical wearing green,” librarian Tessa Slager said. “I don’t really decorate for it, but we do have corned beef and cabbage with soda bread every year.”
What do you think of when you think of St. Patrick’s Day? Why?
“When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, I think of dollar coins,” junior Carter Alansky said. “When I was a kid, me and my siblings would set up little leprechaun traps. At night my parents would go and place coins in the traps.”
Do you enjoy St. Patrick’s Day? Why?
“I do when I’m wearing green. I don’t like getting pinched,” sophomore Lea Baldree said.
