Did St. Patrick Drink Green Beer On St. Patrick’s Day Or St. Pattys?

By Julie Smith on March 17, 2010, 6:52 am

It seems like everyone and their grandmother is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Somehow this Irish religious holiday has turned into a green beer swilling, kiss-me-I’m-Irish, pinch me because I’m not wearing green American holiday. More simply, an excuse to drink ourselves into a catatonic state. What’s really behind this holiday besides hops?

Irish Slave

St. Patrick was a young English lad when the Irish kidnapped him and turned him into a slave in the 5th century. He escaped, went back to England and studied to become a priest. He was eventually called back to Ireland to convert them to Catholicism from the pagan religions they were practicing. So essentially, he turned Ireland Catholic. It is said that he used the shamrock (with only three leaves) to explain to the pagan Irish the Holy Trinity.

St Patrick’s Day was born out of a need for a break during lent. Basically, a day during lent when everyone could drink. Blue represented St. Patrick before green, blue beer anyone. Pretty soon it became a celebration of Ireland and gave all those Irish immigrants to other countries a day to celebrate their homeland.

New Orleans And St. Patrick’s Day

It comes as no surprise that New Orleans throws one of the biggest St. Patty’s day bashes anywhere. Instead of one parade they have several in different parts of the city and the party goes on all day. No one knows how to throw down like the residents of New Orleans. Green is the magic word. Every bar (and there are a lot of them) serves green beer and everyone wears green. As the floats sail by the on-lookers ask, “Throw me something, mister” and much like Mardi Gras, beads and vegetables and, oddly, moon pies thrown into the crowd.

 

Erin go Bragh, Ireland Forever!

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