Traditionally, parades are held on St. Patrick's Day in Ireland and in many countries around the world. People dressed in extravagant costumes take to the streets, as well as brass bands that cannot do without the famous bagpipes.
How St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in Ireland
Popular rumor says that this tradition was born in Ireland. American New York and Boston contest the palm. New Yorkers claim that the first parade on this day took place in 1762 in their city. Then Ireland was under the rule of the British, and it is quite possible that the inhabitants of the recalcitrant North American colonies expressed their solidarity with the Irish people in this way.
St. Patrick's Day is a holiday celebrated on March 17 in memory of Saint Patrick in Ireland. Saint Patrick, according to legend, brought Christianity to a pagan island and expelled all the snakes from there. In honor of St. Patrick, a parade is arranged with songs and dances, Irish beer flows like water. March 17 is not only the feast of the Irish saint, but also the Irish soul.
Many legends are associated with the name of St. Patrick, for example, that he used a three-leaf clover to explain to people the concept of the Holy Trinity. “Just as three leaves can grow from one stem, so God can be one in three persons,” this phrase of the saint has already become a textbook.
In Ireland, there is a tradition to attach a shamrock to clothes, symbolizing the cross, the color of Catholicism, and the symbolic color of the “emerald country” itself.
A church hymn is composed, which tells that Saint Patrick, with the help of a shamrock, interrupted a pagan ritual that was performed in the village of Tara, the royal capital of Ireland at that time.
“It's St. Patrick's Day!- That's the name of a joking video that shows how ordinary Irish people celebrate St. Patrick's Day. How should a typical red-haired inhabitant of the Emerald Isle spend his day? Of course, he must see him off with a bottle of Irish whiskey in his hand.
On this day, all the cities of Ireland are “green”: people paint Irish flags or shamrocks on their faces, attach armfuls of clover to hats and suits, dress in everything green, bake sweets in the shape of shamrocks covered with green icing, and even drink green beer.
The motto of the holiday fits in one word - craic which means "fun and enjoyment". Everyone around is drinking beer and sometimes they are dancing the group Irish dance “caylee”: this is when the upper part of the dancer stands at attention, and the lower part makes intricate knees.
There is the so-called "Patrick's Cup" - a unit of measure for drinking whiskey. Before drinking the last glass of whiskey, it was necessary to put a shamrock in the glass. This was called "draining the shamrock." After drinking whiskey, the shamrock was supposed to be thrown behind the back over the left shoulder - for good luck.
Today, March 17 is recognized as a public holiday in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. In other countries, "International Irish Day" is celebrated non-centrally, by the way, festive events are held even in Moscow.
On St. Patrick's Day, parades are held, the first of which took place on the territory of the modern United States in the 18th century. The right to be called the first city in which such a parade took place is disputed by New York and Boston.
During the celebration, it is customary to organize parades with dances and songs, beer and music parties, and the national color of the Emerald Isle must be present in clothes - green. In Chicago, on March 17, even the river is painted in this shade.
This is a Christian missionary and bishop of Romano-British origin who popularized Christianity in Ireland in the 5th century.
His name, according to different versions, was Mayvin Sukkat or Magon, and Patrick or Patricius (Patricius - “noble man, patrician”) was the nickname that Irish pirates gave him, capturing him and selling him into slavery.
Saint Patrick is now associated with Irish culture. He became a national symbol along with the shamrock, on which, according to legend, he explained to the Irish the principle of the trinity of God.
Why is Saint Patrick's Day celebrated around the world?
Saint Patrick's Day began to be celebrated in the 17th century to commemorate the anniversary of Saint Patrick's death. The holiday later made its way to America with Irish immigrants who continued to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and wear green to show their love for their homeland.
In the 1990s, the Irish government launched a campaign to promote the country's culture to the world through St. Patrick's Day. In 1996, a festival dedicated to this holiday was held, and later such festivals spread throughout the world.
Now St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with festivals and parades in different countries: Canada, Malaysia, Great Britain, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
How did St. Patrick's Day get into Russia?
In the summer of 1991, the Irish Trading House on the Arbat opened in Moscow, and a year later, on St. Patrick's Day, they decided to hold a parade led by the Irish who participated in this project. Opposite the "Irish House" they made a tribune and staged a parade according to all the rules - the way it has already been held all over the world.
Since then, parades with national Irish music and dances have been held in Moscow. Processions and festivals of Celtic culture can also be seen in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, Yekaterinburg and other Russian cities.
Irish music and dance, shamrock, leprechauns and lots and lots of green.
How is Saint Patrick related to the color green?
Since Saint Patrick has become associated with Ireland, the holiday has become green, which can be considered the national color of this country.
The green flag was first used by the Irish rebels during the rebellion in 1641, then the green color became the hallmark of the members of the Society of United Irishmen who fought against English rule in 1790.
Nowadays, during St. Patrick's Day, people dress in green clothes and even drink.
Did the Russian Orthodox Church recognize Saint Patrick?
Yes, and very recently. At a meeting of the Holy Synod on March 9, 2017, it was decided to add 15 saints revered in the West to the Orthodox calendar.
They were chosen according to several criteria: that the saint be venerated even before the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox (the Great Schism), that his name not be mentioned in the writings on the fight against the Eastern Church, and that he be venerated by Orthodox parishioners in the Western European dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland, or simply Saint Patrick, fit all the criteria, and he was also included in this list, and his feast day was set on March 30th.
Why did they decide to recognize Western saints at all?
There are several versions why the Russian Orthodox Church suddenly decided to recognize Western saints:
- For the sake of rapprochement between the two Christian churches - Orthodox and Catholic - and, perhaps, the establishment of political relations with the West. In February 2016, the first meeting of Patriarch Kirill and the Pope took place at the Havana airport to sign a joint declaration. We can consider the recognition of Catholic saints as a continuation of the work of rapprochement.
- Due to the increase in Orthodox immigrants in Western countries. Since they live in an established cultural environment with the veneration of their saints, the dioceses of the Orthodox Church must somehow adapt to this environment and express their attitude towards the revered saints.
And how will the recognition of St. Patrick affect this holiday in Russia?
Most likely not. It was decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Russia on March 30 (March 17 according to the Julian calendar), and at this time the believers continue to fast. Therefore, drinking alcohol, eating unlawful food and rejoicing on this day is prohibited.
Another thing is people who celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a fun holiday dedicated to Celtic culture, go to parades and dress in green. In this case, it has nothing to do with religion and the recognition of St. Patrick by the church. Therefore, there are no restrictions on green beer, whiskey, leprechaun costumes and unbridled fun.
Saint Patrick's Day, the patron saint of Ireland, is celebrated on March 17 every year. This holiday has long gained great popularity far beyond the borders of the Emerald Isle. On March 17, part of the inhabitants of Argentina, Great Britain, Russia, the USA, Japan and other countries become "a little Irish".
At the end of the IV century. in Britain, then under Roman rule, a son was born in the family of Roman citizens Calfurnius and Conchessa - Mavin Sukkat, whom the whole world later recognized as St. Patrick. Despite the fact that his father was a deacon of the local church, Mavin was not an adherent of the belief in one god in the early years of his life. When he was 16 years old, he was captured by pirates. He was sold into slavery in Ireland, where he herded cattle for six years. It was there that he came to the Christian faith. According to legend, God showed him how to escape from captivity, thanks to which Mavin returned to Britain, having spent some time before that in the monasteries of Gaul (modern France). In Britain, he had a vision that ordered him to return to Ireland to convert its inhabitants to Christianity. Mavin returned to Gaul, where he completed his education, was ordained a deacon under the name Patrick, and was later elevated to the rank of bishop. Pope Celestine II blessed Patrick for the Christianization of Ireland, and in the 30s. 5th century the future saint began his mission.
It is believed that the peculiarity of the establishment of Christianity in Ireland was that it was accepted almost bloodlessly through the efforts of Patrick.
There are many legends associated with the personality of St. Patrick and his activities as a missionary. So, it is believed that it was he who brought writing to Ireland, and also expelled all the snakes from the island. There really are no snakes in Ireland. Scientists explain this fact by the fact that during the period of the spread of snakes across the territory of various continents, Ireland was already an island. In addition, the legend of how he explained the dogma of the Trinity to the pagans on the example of a clover leaf (God is one in three persons, like three leaves growing from one stem) has become widespread. It is also believed that for the firmness of faith, God promised Patrick that Ireland would go under water 7 years before the end of the world in order to avoid grief and disasters, and that the saint himself would judge the Irish on the Day of Judgment.
Patrick died on March 17, 493 (according to another version, 461) of the year. He was canonized before the division of the Church into Western and Eastern, therefore, as a saint, he is revered in both. However, veneration in Orthodox churches is of a local nature, since the issue of general veneration has not been resolved. Besides Ireland, St. Patrick patronizes Nigeria, since Christianity was preached there mainly by Irish missionaries.
The Irish began to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a kind of national holiday as early as the 10th-11th centuries, not only in Ireland, but also in other European countries where there was an Irish diaspora. At the beginning of the XVII century. this day was included in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The church celebration is postponed if the saint's memorial day falls on Holy Week (the week before Easter). A secular holiday in almost all countries is held on March 17, in some it stretches for several days.
In 1903 St. Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. In the same year, a law was passed ordering the closure of bars and pubs on March 17 due to excessive drinking by citizens (the law was repealed in the 1970s). Subsequently, March 17 became a public holiday in Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canadian province), as well as on the island of Montserrat (an island in the Caribbean, UK territory).
There are many different traditions associated with the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, both Christian and folk. The Christian ones include the annual ascent of pilgrims to the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick, on which the saint prayed and fasted for 40 days. It is also considered a Christian custom to attach a shamrock to clothes on this day.
The folk tradition includes the tradition of drinking at least one glass of alcohol in some pub. Initially, the most common drink on this day was whiskey, later ale became very popular. There is a so-called "Patrick's Cup" - a unit of measure for drinking whiskey. Before drinking the last glass of whiskey, it was necessary to put a shamrock in the glass. It was called "draining the shamrock". After drinking whiskey, the shamrock was supposed to be thrown behind the back over the left shoulder - for good luck.
According to folk tradition, on this day it is customary to dress in green or attach a shamrock to clothes. This custom was first mentioned in 1689. Until this year, the Irish wore St. Patrick's crosses on their chests. Until the 18th century, the custom of wearing a shamrock was considered vulgar, but over time the tradition took root.
In addition to the shamrock, the symbols of this day are also considered leprechauns (fabulous creatures of small stature, sewing shoes for other fairy-tale creatures and being treasure keepers), a harp (depicted on the coat of arms of Ireland) and a shileila (an oak or thorn staff with a curved end, used, in addition to its direct purpose like a curling stick).
On St. Patrick's Day, special dishes are prepared. Despite the fact that March 17, as a rule, falls on Great Lent, meat is cooked on this day: there is a popular belief that on this day St. Patrick turns all the meat he cooks into fish. The traditional dish is cabbage with bacon or corned beef. In addition, there are many dishes in the preparation of which different types of beer are used.
On St. Patrick's Day, parades are held, the first of which took place on the territory of the modern United States in the 18th century. The right to be called the first city in which such a parade took place is disputed by New York and Boston. The holiday acquires the greatest scope in cities with a large Irish diaspora. In addition to New York and Boston, these are Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago. It was in the United States that the tradition of friendly pinching those who are not dressed in green on March 17 was born. In addition, in many American cities there is a tradition on St. Patrick's Day to paint ponds green. The tradition is believed to have been started by workers monitoring the pollution levels of the Chicago River, who dyed its waters with green vegetable dye in order to track illegal waste dumping.
In Ireland, the first such parade took place in 1931.
Celebrations in honor of St. Patrick's Day is also held in Argentina, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand and other countries.
In Russia, the parade in honor of St. Patrick's Day was held from 1992 to 2010. The initiators of this event were the president of the Irish company Air Riantha, Derek Keogh, and Yuri Luzhkov, who was then deputy head of the Moscow City Council. In 2011, the Irish Ambassador to Russia announced the cancellation of the parade.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
The holiday, which has been celebrated in Ireland since ancient times, has long gained great popularity far beyond the "Emerald Isle" and is celebrated in different countries of the world.
Saint Patrick is revered in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian churches.
Who was Saint Patrick and why is he revered? What are the symbols and traditions of the holiday? Sputnik Georgia tried to find answers to these questions, which you can find below.
life
The future Saint was born in 389 in the north of England, in the family of the noble Briton Calpurnius. His mother was a close relative of Saint Martin of Tours (Bishop of Tours, one of the most revered Saints in France). The newborn was given the Celtic name Sukkat, and at baptism they were given the Latin name Magon.
By the age of 16, Magon was not distinguished by great piety, despite the fact that his father was a deacon of the local church. But in 405, an event occurred that completely turned his life around.
Evgeny Tkachev
Pirates captured him and sold him in Ireland to one of the local tribal leaders. The owner, as if in a mockery of the aristocratic origin of the young man, gave him the nickname Cothrige, which in the local dialect meant "noble person", which eventually transformed into the Latin Patricius (Patricius), since it had a similar meaning.
During the six years of slavery spent in Ireland, Patrick gained faith in God. He herded the sheep in the meager Irish pastures in all weathers and continually prayed to God for salvation.
Once, in a dream, he heard a mysterious voice that told him that a ship was waiting for him on the seashore. Patrick decided that this was a revelation from God and decided to run away. In one of the ports, he managed to hire a sailor on a ship and sail to Gaul.
After being rescued, Patrick spent some time in the monasteries of Gaul (modern France) and returned to his homeland. He later completed his education in Gaul, was ordained a deacon, and then elevated to the rank of bishop.
Saint Patrick returned to Ireland in 432, but already as a preacher of Christianity. At first, the Irish, who were mostly pagans, met the missionary very unfriendly. However, some time later, the preaching of the Saint converted one of the local leaders to Christ, who donated a spacious barn for the construction of the first temple in it.
Many legends are associated with the name of St. Patrick, with his missionary activities and clashes with the druids (priests). Saint Patrick baptized hundreds of thousands of people and founded several hundred churches in Ireland. It is believed that it was he who brought writing to Ireland, and also expelled all the snakes from the island.
According to legend, for the firmness of faith, God promised Saint Patrick that Ireland would go under water seven years before the end of the world in order to avoid grief and disasters, and that the Saint himself would judge the Irish on the Day of Judgment.
Evgeny Tkachev
The saint died on March 17, 463 (according to other sources in 461) and was canonized as a saint before the division of the Christian Church into Western and Eastern, therefore he is also revered in many Orthodox communities. From 2017, the Russian Orthodox Church will also commemorate the Saint, but according to the old style, that is, 13 days later - March 30.
Holiday
The Irish began to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday in the 10th-11th centuries, not only in Ireland, but also in other European countries where there was an Irish diaspora.
At the beginning of the 17th century, this day was included in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The church celebration is postponed if the day of remembrance of the Saint falls on Holy Week (the last week before Easter). A secular holiday in almost all countries is held on March 17, and in some it stretches for several days.
In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. In the same year, a law was passed ordering the closure of bars and pubs on March 17 due to the excessive consumption of alcohol by citizens. But in the 1970s, the law was repealed.
Subsequently, March 17 became a public holiday in Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canadian province), as well as on the island of Montserrat (an island in the Caribbean, UK territory).
Symbols
The traditional symbols of this day are the shamrock (clover) and fabulous creatures leprechauns. The legend of how St. Patrick explained the dogma of the Trinity to the pagans on the example of a clover leaf has become widespread.
According to legend, Saint Patrick, during a sermon on the Holy Trinity, plucked a clover growing under his feet and, raising the shamrock high above his head, clearly showed the Irish the unity that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit make up.
Evgeny Tkachev
Since then, the three green clover has become the Irish symbol of the Holy Trinity, and the green color of the shamrock has become the color of the entire nation. Therefore, the green clothes that people wear on St. Patrick's Day are considered a symbol of the Holy Trinity.
And leprechauns are magical creatures of small stature who sew shoes for other fairy-tale characters and are treasure keepers. According to legend, if you catch such a green man, then for his freedom he can give up treasures or fulfill three wishes.
In Ireland, in order to maintain good relations with this mythical creature, which has a rather controversial character, it is customary to leave a saucer of milk for him on the threshold of the house.
The symbols are also the harp, which is depicted on the coat of arms of Ireland, and the sheela - a staff made of oak wood, which is also used as a curling stick.
Traditions
There are many different traditions associated with the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, both church and folk. In particular, every year pilgrims climb the Holy Mount Croagh Patrick, on which, according to legend, the Saint fasted and prayed for 40 days.
On this day, parades are usually held, theatrical performances and dances are arranged in the streets, Irish folk music sounds, and all the pubs of the cities are filled to drain the "Patrick's cup".
© photo: Sputnik / Maxim Blinov
Initially, whiskey was a common drink on this day, later ale became more popular. According to tradition, before drinking the last glass of whiskey or ale, one had to put a shamrock in a glass, drink a drink, and throw a shamrock over the left shoulder - for good luck.
Church ministers criticize the established secular traditions of the holiday and offer to celebrate St. Patrick's Day first of all as a church one - with a prayer in the church.
According to tradition, on this day it is customary to dress in green or attach a shamrock to clothes. They also add a green scarf or a traditional Irish hat to their everyday outfit.
For the first time, the custom of attaching a shamrock to clothes was mentioned in 1689. Until this year, the Irish wore St. Patrick's crosses on their chests.
On the day of the holiday, all the cities of Ireland seem to turn green - people draw Irish flags on their faces, attach armfuls of clover to hats and costumes, dress in festive clothes, and even drink green beer.
Evgeny Tkachev
The motto of the holiday is Craic, which means "fun and enjoyment", so on this day people drink beer and dance the group Irish dance "kaylie".
On this day, the traditional dish is cabbage with bacon or corned beef, despite the fact that the holiday usually falls on Lent. According to popular belief, Saint Patrick turns all meat dishes prepared for the holiday into fish dishes.
In the world
The holiday acquires the greatest scope in cities with a large Irish diaspora. This day is celebrated in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago. Rumor has it that the tradition of friendly pinching all those who are not dressed in green on March 17 originated in the United States.
In many American cities, there is also a tradition to paint ponds green on St. Patrick's Day. This tradition began with workers monitoring the levels of pollution in the Chicago River. It is believed that they dyed the river with green vegetable dye in order to track illegal dumping.
St. Patrick's Day is also celebrated in Argentina, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand and other countries.On this day, many cultural and historical attractions in different cities of the world change their usual illumination to green. This initiative is known as The Global Greening.
Georgia joined this action for the first time in 2015 when the Tbilisi TV tower turned green for one day in connection with the global campaign The Global Greening.
Posted by Virginia Profe FLE (@elcondefr) Mar 16, 2016 at 11:16 PDT
After that, the tourism agency of Ireland included Tbilisi in the list of those cities that are recommended for Irish tourists to travel.
The third year of friendship between Tbilisi and Dublin and 21 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Ireland will also be celebrated on March 17.
Saint Patrick is one of the most famous and revered Catholic saints, the patron saint of Ireland, Iceland and Nigeria, where Irish missionaries brought Christianity. In honor of this Saint, more than two thousand churches around the world are consecrated, the main of which is St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, built in 1192.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.
This is a Christian missionary and bishop of Romano-British origin who popularized Christianity in Ireland in the 5th century.
His name, according to different versions, was Mayvin Sukkat or Magon, and Patrick or Patricius (Patricius - “noble man, patrician”) was the nickname that Irish pirates gave him, capturing him and selling him into slavery.
Saint Patrick is now associated with Irish culture. He became a national symbol along with the shamrock, on which, according to legend, he explained to the Irish the principle of the trinity of God.
Why is Saint Patrick's Day celebrated around the world?
Saint Patrick's Day began to be celebrated in the 17th century to commemorate the anniversary of Saint Patrick's death. The holiday later made its way to America with Irish immigrants who continued to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and wear green to show their love for their homeland.
In the 1990s, the Irish government launched a campaign to promote the country's culture to the world through St. Patrick's Day. In 1996, a festival dedicated to this holiday was held, and later such festivals spread throughout the world.
Now St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with festivals and parades in different countries: Canada, Malaysia, Great Britain, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
How did St. Patrick's Day get into Russia?
In the summer of 1991, the Irish Trading House on the Arbat opened in Moscow, and a year later, on St. Patrick's Day, they decided to hold a parade led by the Irish who participated in this project. Opposite the "Irish House" they made a tribune and staged a parade according to all the rules - the way it has already been held all over the world.
Since then, parades with national Irish music and dances have been held in Moscow. Processions and festivals of Celtic culture can also be seen in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, Yekaterinburg and other Russian cities.
Irish music and dance, shamrock, leprechauns and lots and lots of green.
How is Saint Patrick related to the color green?
Since Saint Patrick has become associated with Ireland, the holiday has become green, which can be considered the national color of this country.
The green flag was first used by the Irish rebels during the rebellion in 1641, then the green color became the hallmark of the members of the Society of United Irishmen who fought against English rule in 1790.
Nowadays, during St. Patrick's Day, people dress in green clothes and even drink.
Did the Russian Orthodox Church recognize Saint Patrick?
Yes, and very recently. At a meeting of the Holy Synod on March 9, 2017, it was decided to add 15 saints revered in the West to the Orthodox calendar.
They were chosen according to several criteria: that the saint be venerated even before the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox (the Great Schism), that his name not be mentioned in the writings on the fight against the Eastern Church, and that he be venerated by Orthodox parishioners in the Western European dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland, or simply Saint Patrick, fit all the criteria, and he was also included in this list, and his feast day was set on March 30th.
Why did they decide to recognize Western saints at all?
There are several versions why the Russian Orthodox Church suddenly decided to recognize Western saints:
- For the sake of rapprochement between the two Christian churches - Orthodox and Catholic - and, perhaps, the establishment of political relations with the West. In February 2016, the first meeting of Patriarch Kirill and the Pope took place at the Havana airport to sign a joint declaration. We can consider the recognition of Catholic saints as a continuation of the work of rapprochement.
- Due to the increase in Orthodox immigrants in Western countries. Since they live in an established cultural environment with the veneration of their saints, the dioceses of the Orthodox Church must somehow adapt to this environment and express their attitude towards the revered saints.
And how will the recognition of St. Patrick affect this holiday in Russia?
Most likely not. It was decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Russia on March 30 (March 17 according to the Julian calendar), and at this time the believers continue to fast. Therefore, drinking alcohol, eating unlawful food and rejoicing on this day is prohibited.
Another thing is people who celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a fun holiday dedicated to Celtic culture, go to parades and dress in green. In this case, it has nothing to do with religion and the recognition of St. Patrick by the church. Therefore, there are no restrictions on green beer, whiskey, leprechaun costumes and unbridled fun.
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