Every year, Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th. Though the name might imply that St. Patrick’s Day is a religious Christian holiday celebrating Saint Patrick, the meaning of St. Patrick’s Day has since morphed. Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and bishop from Ireland, and for his good work, he is now a venerated saint in the Catholic church. Inside and outside of Ireland, there are followers who use this day to remember the good deeds and life of Saint Patrick, but in the United States and other countries that have large Irish diaspora populations, the day has become more of a cultural celebration of Ireland.
Irish-Americans make up nearly 10 percent of the total population of the United States, and in cities like Boston, they form more than 20 percent of the population. Though Irish Americans have made up a large percentage of the US population for nearly two centuries now, they faced discrimination that became less severe with time. The religious majority of the U.S. was Protestant, and nearly all Irish people entering the United States were Catholics. Also arriving impoverished from Ireland due to famines, the population was looked down upon due to their socioeconomic status. Now, this tension is not nearly as visible as it used to be, and the Irish-American population is integrated into every sector of American life, including education, work, and politics.
With Irish culture integrated into the American mainstream, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular holiday. Nearly every city and town in the United States have some type of small celebration, like a parade. In cities like Boston with large Irish populations, sometimes the celebrations are even larger, and the history of Irish culture can be found on every street. Here’s a list of both St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Boston and year-round landmarks that celebrate Irish-American heritage.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Photo: Boston Globe
Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place in South Boston, which is a historically Irish neighborhood. Some estimates say that up to one million people attend the parade. Though the parade is cancelled this year due to the pandemic, there are typically a variety of bagpipes groups and cultural organizations that perform.
Irish Heritage Trail
Photo: Irish Heritage Trail
The trail encompasses the entire state of Massachusetts, but there are a total of 20 stops on the Boston portion of the Irish Heritage Trail. Many of the sites are the graves and memorials dedicated to Boston Irish-Americans, like Rose Kennedy and Colonel Robert Shaw. The trail is self-guided and can be toured at any time.
Celtics
Photo: SLAM
The Celtics are Boston’s professional basketball team associated with the National Basketball Association. Their mascot Lucky the leprechaun came into being in 1968, and he touts a pipe and a basketball as the team logo. Another logo of the team is a simple green shamrock. Whether it's Lucky or a shamrock, the mascots both show the Celtics’ ties to Boston’s Irish roots.
Boston Irish Famine Memorial
Photo: Boston magazine
Located between Washington Street and School Street, the Irish Famine Memorial remembers the suffering that Ireland faced during the mid-19th century. Though the famine took place long ago, the memorial is fairly new; it was opened in 1998. There are two statues that depict two different immigrant families, and the memorial contains many plaques with history about Irish immigrants.
Irish Pubs
Another casual way to celebrate is to visit one of Boston’s 50 Irish pubs. The pubs are always open, but they are especially busy on St. Patrick’s Day. Some serve food if you’re looking for a bite to eat, and others serve mostly drinks.
The Irish population brought St. Patrick’s Day to the forefront of Bostonian and American culture, and today, many people of different cultural and religious backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you can’t make it to Boston for St. Patrick’s Day, there are a variety of attractions that celebrate Irish heritage open year round. No matter where you are, hopefully you will find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow this St. Patrick’s Day.
Photo: Boston Herald
Vocabulary list:
morph (v.) - to gradually change or shapeshift
missionary (n.) - a person sent to a new area to spread their religion
bishop (n.) - a senior member of the Christian church
venerate (n.) - regard with great respect
impoverished (adj.) - poor or without strength
socioeconomic (adj.) - used to describe both social class and economic status in society
integrated (adj.) - made a part of or unified with something
mainstream (n.) - ideas or practices that are considered to be normal or conventional in society
landmark (n.) - a physical piece of land with a historical meaning
bagpipes (n.) - a woodwind instrument that contains wooden reeds and a bag to be carried
memorial (n.) - a site intended to commemorate a person or a cause with statues or other structures
leprechaun (n.) - a fairy-like short man in Irish folklore, dressed in a green suit and hat
shamrock (n.) - a young clover often used as the symbol of Ireland
plaque (n.) - an ornamental tablet with an inscription
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bridgette Lang is an undergraduate student studying International Relations at Boston University. On campus, she helps run a collegiate Model United Nations Conference and manages finances for BU College Democrats. In her free time, Bridgette enjoys traveling, trying to learn Spanish, and visiting with her friends and family back home in Pennsylvania.