A carnival in Green - St. Patrick's Day

St Patrick's day is one of the most important cultural celebrations of the Emerald Isle i.e., Ireland. It is an occasion in honor of St. Patrick, an apostle who introduced Christianity in Ireland in fifth century AD. Over the years, St. Patrick's day has become a global occasion, owing to the presence of many Irish immigrants all over the world, as prominent in the all green carnival-like festivities that people enthusiastically indulge in, on this day.

Leprechauns and Shamrock leaves are important St. Patrick Day symbols. Image Source: Culture Trip

The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the words "St. Patrick's Day" is the color green. It is unclear as to why this holy day is associated with this color. Some say that when the Apostle St Patrick first preached the gospel, he used a green shamrock leaf, also known as seamróg in Irish, to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity i.e., father, son and Holy Spirit. This might also explain why the Irish are particularly fascinated with the idea of lucky charms and like to emphasize it on this day. Others believe that the colour green is supposed to prevent people fro getting pinched by Leprachauns, a small evil spirit of greenish colour, popularly found in Irish folktales. Yet others have made a connection between the green themed Patrick's day and the green stripes in Irish flag. Moreover, the fact that Ireland is called the Emerald Isle has also led some to make a possible connection.

Regardless of these differences, on 17th march every year, Ireland and many other parts of the world uniformly organize all green themed parties with drinks, music and dance to mark the death anniversary of St Patrick. St Patrick was intially brought to Ireland as a slave by Irish Raiders in the fifth century AD but he later became the missionary in the country. As the "enlightener of Ireland", the apostle is thus one of the most important figures for the followers of Christianity in Ireland. On this day, the famous St Patrick's church in Dublin becomes the center for the religious gathering of people.

However, despite its religious nature, the celebrations of St Patrick's are mostly secular in practice. In America and other parts, people dress up in fancy green costumes to observe this day by drinking Irish beer and food, watching irish movies and indulging in other activities like parade, whether they are of Irish descent or not. It is hard to ascertain when exactly this festival became so global, however it is certain that Irish immigrants in various parts of the world had a pivotal role to play in the introduction of St Patrick's day.

In India, the three Patrician Brothers- Ignatius, Paul and Fintan brought the legend of St Patrick in 1875. They began their work in Chennai but soon they began to spread to other parts of the country. Currently, there are 15 patrician locations across the country which function as educational institutions. Their headquarters, the Generalate, is located at Mount St Patrick Academy in Pune, and another office the Provincialate is situated in Mount St Mary's in New Delhi.

On the occasion of St Patrick's day, places associated with the Apostle, like the St Patrick's Church in Chennai, Bangalore, Pune light up to honour the Apostle of Ireland. At the cathedral in Chennai, a St Patrick's feast is conducted in the third week of march, coinciding with the worldwide celebrations. In Mumbai and Goa, this occasion turn into a rave with people going for parties at pubs and clubs. For instance, The Gateway of India in Mumbai lights up in green for St Patrick's. In Goa, Mojo, the Irish pub in Panjim is a popular attraction point for the residents on this day. Even pubs go green themed for the night and keep symbolic objects like the shamrock, leprechaun and Irish drinks to observe this holiday. However, compared to other places like America where a distinct community of Irish immigrant population can be found, the celebrations in India are limited to a few places and among fewer people.

Yet, there is no denying that what was once a somber occasion reserved to Ireland has now transcended national boundaries and acquired a secular character. Beyond religious considerations, St Patrick's day has truly become a globalized event, attracting lay people and followers of St Patrick alike to the go green and go wild appeals of St Patrick's day.