Every year on March 17, cities across the United States are awash in green as people take to the streets for parades, parties and pub crawls. From Chicago dyeing its river a brilliant emerald hue to the massive celebrations in New York and Boston, St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the most widely recognized cultural festivals in the U.S.
But St. Patrick’s Day is about more than making fun of your ginger friends. For those born into Irish households, like us, it’s about blending culture and food into one day celebrated through one big feast.
St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the death of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, believed to have passed on March 17, 493. Since as early as the ninth or 10th centuries, the people in Ireland have observed the day with feasts and religious ceremonies.
While the holiday has long been a solemn occasion in Ireland, marked by church services and family gatherings, its American counterpart evolved into something much larger—a bold, public celebration of Irish identity.
Think of it as Thanksgiving but in March with no turkey and too much drinking from the adults in our families.
The feast starts the moment you wake up and can go until well beyond midnight. Unlike a normal day, people will only eat one or two meals, depending on how big or hungry your family tends to be.
We start with what we like to call, the breakfast of champions. It’s not just a grab a bagel or skip-breakfast kind of day, it’s a wake-up early to a full Irish breakfast. Typically, this includes fried eggs, grilled tomatoes, rashers – not bacon, there is a difference –, black or white pudding and of course the holy grail of Irish cuisine: soda bread.
Most importantly, Irish butter sits in the center of the massive amount of food on the table. It’s best to remember that everything is always covered in butter.
After breakfast, tea and coffee, we usually don’t eat again until dinner in the late evening.
One thing the Irish don’t play around with, beside potatoes, is dinner. Now, let us clarify that corned beef and cabbage are not staples in Irish food, they’re more Americanized versions of Irish dishes. The real stars are colcannon (kal-col-nin), shepherd’s pie, boxty (box-tea), Guinness stew and more soda bread.
Colcannon is a mashed potato mixed with butter, cream, leeks and cabbage. Boxty is an Irish potato pancake that is fried and dipped in butter.
The feast usually lasts more than three hours, and while it’s seen as a time to eat, it’s also meant to be spent talking and being around family.
Beyond just eating, several other traditions can be held throughout the day. Much of the day is spent listening to music, playing instruments and singing, playing games and, of course, watching our younger relatives put on Irish step dancing performances for the family.
By the end of the celebrations, everyone is stuffed or drunk, slightly delirious from the carb overload and already making plans for next year as we say our goodbyes.
While our meals and activities aren’t a great departure from traditional Irish culture and cuisine, St. Patrick’s day festivities have evolved to something much larger.
The earliest roots of Americanized St. Patrick’s Day celebrations date back to 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the British military marched through the streets of New York City. This impromptu parade allowed them to reconnect with their heritage, even while stationed far from home.
Over time, as waves of Irish immigrants arrived in the U.S., these celebrations expanded. Cities with large Irish populations—New York, Boston, and Chicago among them—embraced the tradition, hosting elaborate parades and festivals that grew into the massive events we see today.
Even before the United States gained independence, Irish immigrants were arriving in large numbers, forming tight-knit communities and establishing a lasting cultural presence.
The greatest influx of Irish immigrants came in the 1840s during the Potato Famine. Facing cruel conditions and extreme poverty from Great Britain, millions of Irish people fled their homeland in search of a better life, with many settling in American cities. Unfortunately, they were met with intense discrimination.
Stereotyped as lazy, boisterous, drunken and violent, Irish immigrants were often portrayed in newspaper cartoons as apes or barbarians, unfit for respectable society. They faced job discrimination, social exclusion and political hostility, with signs reading “No Irish Need Apply” appearing in shop windows across the country.
Over time, Irish Americans fought to change this reputation. They became influential in politics, law enforcement and labor movements. By embracing both Irish traditions and American culture, St. Patrick’s Day was transformed from a religious observance into a nationwide celebration of Irish heritage.
Today, while the holiday is often commercialized and sometimes strays from its historical roots, it remains an important symbol of Irish-American resilience.
Thankfully, you won’t find modern newspapers printing derogatory cartoons shaming Irish Americans. But the stereotypes of the past haven’t completely disappeared. The holiday is still associated with excessive drinking, reinforcing old prejudices.
However, many Irish Americans, like ourselves, continue to embrace the day. From the smell of delicious food in the kitchen to the loud cheering of “Slainte” (Sh-lan-tay) as glasses clink together, we’re thankful for our ‘boisterous’ families and the one day that we celebrate our culture and heritage.
We use the day as an opportunity to honor our ancestors, showcase our culture and share our traditions with the wider community. Whether through family gatherings, traditional Irish meals or grand parades, St. Patrick’s Day remains a testament to the enduring spirit of the Irish in America.