How to do St. Patrick’s Day properly, even when you’re not Irish.
Illustration by Don Petersen
Every March 17, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Started more than 1,000 years ago by the Irish as an observation of the death of St. Patrick, their patron saint, the holiday has evolved on this side of the Atlantic Ocean into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, food, music, dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of green. Here, we explain the traditions behind this popular bash and tell you where to celebrate, what brews to pour, and which songs to add to your playlist.
St. Patrick’s Day Explained
St. Patrick
It might come as a shock, but Ireland’s patron saint wasn’t actually Irish. The British subject spent six years as a slave in Ireland and later returned on a mission to spreadChristianity.
Illustration by Don Petersen
Shamrocks
According to legend, St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the Christian Holy Trinity.
March 17
This date is widely believed to be the day of St. Patrick’s death, although it’s unknown if he died in Ireland.
The First Parade
It didn’t start in Dublin, but in New York City on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers in the British Army marched through the streets. By the mid-1800s, parades had become a tradition all over the country.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
It’s hard to imagine a St. Patrick’s Day meal without it, but corned beef and cabbage is more American than Irish, first cooked up by poor Irish Americans in the 19th century.
Raise a Glass
Photo courtesy of Virginia Distillery Co.
St. Patrick’s Day has a reputation as a rather boozy holiday. This year, celebrate with Irish-style brews made right here in the Commonwealth. Sláinte!
Brewed in Crozet, Starr Hill Brewery’s Dark Starr, a dry Irish stout made with barley and featuring notes of coffee and dark chocolate, has won numerous awards at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup since 1999.
O’Connor Brewing Company’s ODIS is a dry Irish stout brewed in Norfolk. Part of the brewery’s flagship series, the beer is malty in flavor with hints of roasted coffee.
Red Molly, an Irish red ale brewed by Pale Fire Brewing Company in Harrisonburg and a first-place winner at the 2018 Virginia Craft Beer Cup, is rich with notes of cherry and malt.
Playlist
Seven Drunken Nights, The Dubliners
Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2
Sally MacLennane, The Pogues
Linger, The Cranberries
Whiskey in the Jar, Thin Lizzy
An Irish Pub Song, The Rumjacks
Danny Boy, Celtic Woman
Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
The Night Pat Murphy Died, Great Big Sea
Tipsy, J-Kwon
Kiss Me I’m Irish, Gaelic Storm
This article originally appeared in our April 2019 issue.
