I still remember the first time I celebrate the St. Patrick's Day when I was a freshman in Canada. The students and staffs in the entire student dormitory were celebrating this festival. Everyone wore green clothes, green necklaces, Irish hats, and even green socks. At that time, I only knew that people wore green and drank beer to celebrate this festival. Later, I learned that the origin of this festival has a meaningful background.
Saint Patrick's Day is a holiday commemorating Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Held on March 17 every year, it is a religious festival and a national celebration that the Irish attach great importance to. On the day of the festival, as soon as you open your eyes, you will see people wear green clothing and decorations everywhere. In some places, even the river will be dyed green! The traditional diet of St. Patrick's Day are beer, corned beef stewed cabbage and Irish coffee. The traditional decorations are shamrocks (Ireland's national flower), Irish hats, Irish pipes and in honor of traditional Irish livestock, pigs and traditional crops, potatoes.
The festival originated in Ireland in the late 5th century. In 432 AD, St. Patrick was sent by the Pope to Ireland to persuade the Irish to convert to Christianity. St. Patrick was not afraid of danger, and immediately picked off a three-leaf clover, which vividly explained the doctrine of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. His eloquent speech moved the Irish deeply, and they were baptized by St. Patrick. On March 17, 461 AD, St. Patrick passed away. In memory of him, the Irish designated this day as St. Patrick's Day. The day later became a national holiday for the Irish and is also a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a statutory holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
On St. Patrick's Day, people usually hold parades, church services and dinners. Irish people in the United States like to wear clover clover, decorate their rooms with green and yellow, the national flag colors of Ireland, wear green clothes, and present clover clover ornaments to guests.
St Patrick's Day is the biggest festival in Ireland, no matter where the Irish people are, they will hold grand celebrations. Canada is no exception. In Toronto, Canada, nearly a hundred floats, bands and tens of thousands of spectators come to watch the parade in the city center every year and participate in the celebration. It is one of the most grand parades every year. Every year, more than 5,000 participants march along the parade route, and hundreds of thousands more line the streets to watch the festivities.
Photo ：StPatrickToronto; Sebastien BARRE
St Patrick’s Parade in Toronto
Date: March 19, 2023
Time: 12:00-1:30pm
The Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins on the corner of St. George and Bloor St West (near St. George subway station) and heads east on Bloor Street, turns south on Yonge Street and finally turns west on Queen Street, finishing at the parade reviewing stand at Nathan Phillips Square.
St Patrick's Parade Route
Photo：StPatrickToronto
More Information https://stpatrickstoronto.com/
Let us join the GREEN and experience this beautiful, spring-like festival!
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