Ireland: Discovering Saint-Patrick

This year, the Saint-Patrick will give you some real colours... For you will live it in its country of origin, Ireland!

Unlike Simplistic ideas, the Saint-Patrick is not the Irish national holiday. Yet this is one of the most emblematic days in the country. It celebrates Ireland and its folklore through sometimes bleak traditions. Today we offer you to discover the secrets of this world-renowned celebration in the country that saw it be born: Ireland. Leprechaun, green color, clovers, beer and many other festivals of all kinds await you for a memorable day and evening. Welcome to Ireland, or rather Fáilte go Eirinn !

The History of Saint-Patrick

Biography of Saint-Patrick

First of all, it is important to know that St. Patrick’s Day is a tribute to the patron saint of Ireland: Maewyn Succat, more commonly known as Saint-Patrick. In reality, it is the anniversary of his death, which occurred on March 17, 461, which is celebrated. Saint-Patrick is considered to be the founder of Irish Christianity, having shaped his religious landscape from the 5th century.

Patrick of Ireland has thus become an almost legendary saint, known to all. His story is pretty interesting. As a child of island Brittany, he was allegedly abducted and sold by pirates. For six years, he was a shepherd for an Irish clan, before meeting God and vouching for him the rest of his life. Saint-Patrick then began to turn Ireland, a land to the pagan gods. It is Irish evangelism that begins.

Protected origin indication

Against all expectations and as surprising as it may be, the first parade of Saint-Patrick did not take place in Ireland. Indeed, it was in Boston in 1737 that the Saint-Patrick was celebrated for the very first time. In Ireland, we'll have to wait 1931. The Irish community is very strong in this American city. And because, in 1900, it was half of the population of Boston that is Irish! It is also the new wave of immigration that will occur during the Great Irish Famine of the 19th century.

Today, the ancient origins of the festivities are kept in memory since beyond celebrating Saint-Patrick, it is all Ireland that is honoured. The nation sees the interest of promoting its culture, energy and all its folklore. In Ireland, 17 March has been a holiday since 1903, after being declared a religious holiday in the 17th century.

Between traditional folklore and popular festivity

As mentioned, the Saint Patrick’s Day honours Ireland and all its folklore. This can be seen: clover, green, beer and Celtic music are the main signs of a successful Saint-Patrick. On the streets, the laughter resonates and the pints intersperse, the beer flows to sea and the Irish tintamarre irradiates at the rhythm of the cornemuses. Very popular, the feast of Saint-Patrick is primarily patriotic and wants to be traditional. All facets of Ireland are unveiled, in good mood and with pride. This is the chauvin side of the Irish, surely.

So, for 5 days, Irish pubs are filled, sometimes green beer litters are flowing without interruption and the Great Parades are flooding the country. Contrary to this debauchery, this celebration of Ireland partly recalls the history of this country and underlines its resistance over the centuries. Ireland has been able to build its own identity and deploy it around the world. This is also the Saint-Patrick.

Religion, holiness and legends

To all ancient, even religious stories, their lots of associated legends. It was necessary to find things to be told by the fire when television and smartphones were not legion. Did you know that Saint-Patrick is matched to the three-leaf clover because Saint-Patrick, the religious evangelist, would have used this plant as a symbol of his mission? A symbolization of the country in itself, the famous shamrock which often gives its name to Irish pubs, even in France.

Other legends also run the streets. On the day of the Saint-Patrick, if you have the chance to cross a leprechaun, a small, malicious character, catch him. He will be obliged to reveal to you the location of his treasure, often at the foot of a rainbow. Otherwise, know that if you are not dressed in green, the other participants are entitled to pinch you! Indeed, you do not respect the tradition that pays tribute to the clover of Saint-Patrick! But if you wear green, know that you become invisible to the eyes of malicious wrestles. So much to enjoy it!

International

As we have told you, the first Saint-Patrick celebration took place in 1737 in Boston, USA. Irish immigrants gave themselves to the heart of their culture. After the Great Irish Famine of the 1830s, emigration to the U.S. has not stopped and the Irish scattered in the U.S. territory. This is why today we can find exceptional celebrations and parades of the Saint-Patrick in New York or Chicago.

New York, for example, has one of the most beautiful parades in the world. The city turns into Ireland for a few days, the sound of the cornemuses resonating to the heights of the buildings. As for Chicago, the city dyees the Chicago River in green for about 250 kilometers with an ecological color based on fluorescein, usually used for the study of currents. And this since 1962!

In Europe too, celebrations go good. In France and Germany, in particular, where beer is flowing, recalling the German Oktoberfest. Finally, as surprising as it may seem, Singapore and Dubai also celebrate Saint-Patrick. Playing the game like the Westerns, green, music and Irish mind floods them the time of a festival with a fantastically Celtic look.

Celebrate Saint-Patrick, Ireland or elsewhere

Valorize Ireland and its culture

While in other countries, this is mainly the story of one evening or a weekend, in Ireland the Saint-Patrick is a festival! He first extended over 3 days in 1996 before finally spreading over 5 days from 2006! Even if only on March 17 is a public holiday, the festivities are articulated around the tradition of days. Great parades, shows, concerts, street theatres and other animations integrate and energize the programming of the Saint-Patrick Festival.

It is also the government that is at the origin of the transformation into a festival of what was then just a religious feast. And this, with the aim of discovering, spreading and living Irish culture. This is reflected in the respect and transmission of traditions, folklore and innovations in the country. Living Saint-Patrick is taking part in a common action of a whole country to support and sustain its culture.

We could also ask what a typical day of the Saint-Patrick Festival looks like. First, it should be recalled that depending on where you are located, the festivities will not be the same. For example, if you live the Saint-Patrick in Dublin, it will not be the same as Cork, Galway or Belfast. Of course, the atmospheres are always excellent and the principle remains to celebrate the patron saint and the Irish country.

Experimenting Saint-Patrick

One of the customs is obviously to dress in green. It is not necessary to dress from the head to the feet, an element of your outfit is enough to avoid the most superstitious clamps. You will find yourself mixed with many other people who have taken the thing more or less seriously.

For example, some take the look of giant leprechaun, when others weigh completely green. These will not have demerited their collation. And snacks, you'll get at all. Indeed, let’s remember that one of the most consumed drinks during Saint-Patrick is beer. The valves are open and tens of thousands of pints are served daily throughout the country. Blonde, white, redhead or the best known of browns, the Guinness, are entirely part of the show and folklore. To be consumed in moderation, of course!

Let’s talk about the dishes served! Irish pubs and more classic restaurants have fun creating special maps around Saint-Patrick. So you will find easily irish stew (iron taste) beer. But also many other typical gourmet specialties of the country, revisited for the occasion.

In the streets, Celtic music and Irish songs will put you in the mood. You can then join improvised dance tracks or attend unannounced concerts. Time is at the party and it is not time to think. At the Saint-Patrick, you must not take a seriously, just live the festival with the Irish, proud and a little chauvin. But also delighted to share this unique experience with those who are interested in it!

Pay tribute to heritage

You understood that. The idea of the Saint-Patrick and its festival is to pay tribute to Irish cultural and historical heritage. Views of this eye, the festivities take a whole different scale. Although, unsurprisingly, many are those who do not know the exact reasons of Saint-Patrick, the streets do not unfold. Every year, in spite of the March temperatures and the capricious weather in Ireland, people drop in Irish pubs and streets. However, some animations wish to recall the origin of the Saint-Patrick and even offer a historical and theological journey. According to the years, more serious conventions are organized. For example, in 2004, the theme of the Saint-Patrick symposium was " Talking Irish and was intended to exchange on the Irish nation.

So even if the object of the festival is festive, we must not forget the origin of the festival: the patron saint of Ireland. These various tributes to heritage are actively involved in making the Saint-Patrick popular with the whole society, from the most religious to the most celebrated.

All together to celebrate a country

We mentioned it above, it is all the country that gathers for Saint-Patrick. Some emblematic places like the Temple Bar , located in the district of the same name of Dublin, sees its streets blocked by passers-by. Inside, it’s more complicated than usual, people flock, come to drink a drink, or two, and listen to the concert, necessarily in live . Finally, let’s also remember that you don’t need to be Irish to feast as it should be. The Irish don’t care where you come from. What he wants is to party with you. They are even more delighted to be able to share their culture, folklore and traditions with you. The more we're crazy, the more we laugh. Especially dressed in green!

Finally, anticipate as much as possible!

Since the beginning of this article, we tell you that the success of Saint Patrick is national or even international. So you certainly doubt that tourist structures and transport are taken on board. Like the Oktoberfest in Munich, the Saint-Patrick attracts more and more people. Difficult, therefore, to find one Airbnb in Belfast or one hotel in Dublin during the Saint-Patrick. In the rest of the world, it is the same thing. Since the celebration is celebrated everywhere, we must take it in advance.

So if you can, anticipate your trip to make sure you can sleep close to the festivities, for example. Likewise, we advise you to consider moving by car to the cities where the festival takes place. First because the city centers are closed to favour pedestrian security. Then, because even the surroundings become complicated to consider.

So, when is your Saint-Patrick with a green beer by hand?