St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated as a Christian feast day on March 17th, commemorates the coming of St. Patrick and of Christianity to Ireland. Lenten fasting is put on hold for a single day and celebrations, usually including alcohol, especially stout, is common in Ireland. In the United States, parades and large amounts of alcohol can be expected, although it is not a legal holiday in the country. Green is typically worn in America for fear of getting pinched — a common misconception in the history of the holiday. Green does not have anything to do with St. Patrick himself, rather it was, in Ireland, a symbol of “rebellious Irish nationalism”. During the time of the American Revolution, there was a group of revolutionaries who wanted to get rid of English rule in Ireland, inspired by the Americans, and would subtly wear green as a symbol for their cause so they wouldn’t be found out. This was typically in the form of shamrocks adorned on a hat, and even when the rebellion was crushed by the British, the hats continued to be prevalent in Ireland. This became a tradition that was carried overseas when the Irish immigrated to the United States. 

St. Patrick himself had been celebrated and honored in Ireland since the ninth or tenth centuries. During mass immigration to the United States, the Irish tradition has since become a widely celebrated holiday. These celebrations began in cities with large Irish populations, and they were typically large and lavish to show off their political power. Boston had their first celebration, including a parade, in 1737, and New York followed 25 years later.