Saint Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday ever March 17. Many people celebrate the holiday, but don’t know why it is celebrated or the importance of the holiday. In modern times, businesses have seasonal goodies. For example. McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, Lucky Charms has their cereal turn your milk green, and Krispy Kreme has the Luck O’ the Doughnuts Collection which includes four options. People wear green and go to Saint Patrick’s Day parades to celebrate, but how did people celebrate back in the day?

The first Saint Patrick’s day was celebrated March 17, 1631. The church would hold feasts to honor Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick was a patron saint of Ireland in the fifth century. It is believed that Saint Patrick died around the fifth century.

Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century. When he was 16, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave and escaped. He returned to Ireland to convert the people to Christianity. When Saint Patrick was alive, he established many churches, monasteries and schools in Ireland.

Emigrants from the United States helped in making Saint Patrick’s Day a largely celebrated holiday. The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston in 1737, and then in 1762, New York City had a parade too. In 1962 Chicago started dyeing the Chicago River green for Saint Patrick’s Day.

People around the world celebrate to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.