| St . Patrick ’ s Day |
Many St . Patrick ’ s Day traditions are not from Ireland
from Metro Creative Connection
St . Patrick ’ s Day is made special by various traditions . Everything from dyeing major cities ’ rivers green to parades to enjoying green foods has become part of the pageantry of St . Patrick ’ s Day .
The next time you raise a green beer to your lips , you may wonder which traditions are authentically Irish and which ones were created by regions with an abundance of Irish emigrants . Surprisingly , many seemingly Irish traditions likely began elsewhere .
First parade
It would be accurate to assume that various elements associated with St . Patrick ’ s Day began where St . Patrick , the patron saint of Ireland , once resided , including the first St . Patrick ’ s Day parade . However , some of the first parades held in St . Patrick ’ s honor took place in two North American cities , New York and Boston , that had high numbers of Irish immigrants . But historians say the first ever St . Patrick ’ s Day parade was actually held in St . Augustine , Florida in 1601 , a year after gunfire blasts were used to honor the saint . The parade may have been at the request of an Irish priest living there at the time .
Corned beef and cabbage
What would St . Patrick ’ s Day be without an authentic meal of corned beef and cabbage ? This dish is not so authentic after all , and actually is an American innovation . Ham and cabbage was widely eaten in Ireland , but corned beef was a cheaper alternative found in America by immigrants . Therefore , corned beef became a staple of poor Irish immigrants living in lower Manhattan . The salted meat was boiled three times to remove some of the brine and make it palatable .
82 February | March 2022 Thomasville Scene