Do you have your green clothing all ready to go for this St. Patrick’s Day? Whether you’re Irish or simply just Irish at heart, March 17th is the day people across the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by attending religious services, parades, and lots of eating and drinking of traditional Irish foods and beverages!
St. Patrick’s Day History and Facts
St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish history, heritage and culture. The Irish began immigrating to America as soon as the English started colonizing in the 1600’s, although the years during the Great Potato Famine in Ireland (1845-1853) brought the largest number of Irish immigrants to America. Over 2 million Irishmen, women and children left Ireland for America, which was over a quarter of the population of Ireland at that time. The Irish brought with them a strong sense of tradition and heritage, which we still celebrate today.
St. Patrick’s Day is a day of commemoration for the patron saint of Ireland, Patrick, who passed away on March 17th, 461. For centuries, this day was just a religious holiday celebrating the life of St. Patrick. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1764. The first continuous St. Patrick’s Day parade was started in Savannah, Georgia in 1813 and continues to this day. Over the past 50 years, St. Patrick’s Day has become a more secular celebration. Cities and towns across the globe have parades in celebration of Irish culture. The largest parades are in New York City, Chicago, Boston and Savannah. But many other cities have long traditions of parades, including Cleveland, which has held a parade for the last 150 years.
St. Patrick’s Day in Indianapolis
Indianapolis’s own St. Patrick’s Day parade has been an annual event for 35 years now and is one of Indy’s most popular downtown celebrations. Free to the public, this year the parade will start at 11:30 a.m. on March 17th and will be made up of Irish dancers, bagpipe and drum bands, high school bands, Irish organizations and dignitaries and various floats. There’s also a festival on Vermont Street that starts at 10 a.m. with live entertainment, food and a beer garden, all conveniently located in the middle of the parade route.
Also going on this St. Patrick’s Day in Indianapolis, the 18th Annual Indianapolis Downtown Irish Fest runs from 12 noon through midnight and features live music and authentic Irish food. Held in The Rathskeller, there’s no admission charge to this event, and along with the music you’ll also enjoy the Irish Dancers of Indianapolis and bagpipes by the Gordon Pipers.
However you choose to celebrate, American Senior Communities wishes you a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For more information about American Senior Communities, please visit www.asccare.com.
