This Wednesday, the Lions began celebrating St. Patrick’s Day a few days early before enjoying a long weekend. The holiday, widely and vigorously celebrated in the United States, is observed every March 17th and is packed with parades, good luck charms, and all things green. It is the one day of the year that anyone can call themselves Irish, if not by birthright, but by spirit. Although the day has become a more secular celebration, it originated as a feast commemorating Saint Patrick, credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It is also celebrated by many Irish residents of the United States today. The Shamrock associated with the holiday also comes from St. Patrick, as he used it in his many teachings that helped bring people together in the country. His main point was that each leaf represented a member of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since then, it has become another green, festive holiday symbol. 

St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland, as it has been celebrated there as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years, since about the ninth or tenth century. Traditionally, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate the feast day in the afternoon. They would dance, drink, and feast on the traditional Irish bacon and cabbage meal. However, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in America, rather than Ireland, in 1601. This parade was held on March 17th in a Spanish colony, now modern-day St. Augustine, Florida. Then, about a century later, Irish soldiers that served in the English military marched in New York City in 1772 to honor their patron saint, thus renewing the tradition of the parade. From that point, the trains continued each year in the U. S., and it has become a great way to honor Irish Americans.  

In the more fun, modern-day interpretation of the holiday, another well-known symbol is the Leprechaun, a mythical miniature man whose tales have been told in Irish oral stories for centuries. Although the creature has no religious background, memorable Irish folktales describe leprechauns as crotchety, solitary, and mischievous. Many of us remember trying to catch them in elementary school! Today, the students got their Leprechaun in preparation for this Friday’s festivities! They were given hats, glasses, necklaces, and anything green to begin the celebration of St. Patrick, Ireland, leprechauns, and the four-day weekend! 

 Enjoy the gallery of NDCL’s Leprechauns, and Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Gallery • 45 Photos