St. Patty’s Day bigger and better in America

It is true that in America we do things bigger. March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day- the most Irish day of the year in America- and like everything else, we add in our own twist to it.
It is not even a national holiday here in the States, and yet every year we break out the leprechaun hats and take to the streets for parades or watch the Ohio River run green with Irish pride. The traditions we have created are very impressive, and one would think that the same happens on the island of the holiday’s creation. However, in Ireland things are not quite the same.
St. Patrick’s Day is actually a religious holiday. In Ireland they close schools for the day and everyone flocks to church to celebrate and remember St. Patrick on the day of his death. St. Patrick is known for first introducing Christianity to Ireland. He is said to have banished all snakes out of Ireland. Festivals and parades are held throughout the days before the seventeenth, similar to how it is in the United States. Then on the big day itself, things are rather quiet in the morning, but later in the day the pubs are packed with people, dancers, and music. They even sell a special kind of green colored beer just for the day. The party goes on through the evening.
In the United States, it is one big party all day long. Granted, there are some church services, but if March 17th is on a weekday (like it is this year- mark your calendars for Tuesday the seventeenth) the total turnout is rather small. Many people will be decked out in different shades of green for the day at the very least. So why is St. Patrick’s Day such a big deal to us?
Over the years, Irish culture has become an important part of American culture, since many Americans can trace their ancestry back to Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day has become more of a celebration of Irish-American culture than a religious holiday. So every year we slap on as much green as possible and proudly wave around the Irish Tricolor. Even if there isn’t a single drop of Irish blood in you, please feel free to celebrate along with other people. Watch the parades, eat the food, and enjoy the music and the dancing. This holiday is open for everyone to celebrate.