The document discusses the history and traditions of St. Patrick's Day. It describes how St. Patrick's Day originated as a Christian religious holiday but is now largely a secular celebration of Irish culture. Key events include St. Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century and Irish immigrants popularizing parades and celebrations in major cities like New York and Boston from the 18th century onward. The traditions now include wearing green, eating Irish foods like bacon and cabbage, attending parades, and pinching those not wearing green.

1. St. Patrick's Day Kiss Me I’m Irish

2. The Day of the Irish St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Russia and Australia.North America is home to the largest productions of St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, in honor of St. Patrick, its a religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years. On St. Patrick's Day, Irish families traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

3. History…. continued The first St. Patrick's Day parade did not take place in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762 Soon beginning to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the "green machine," became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City 's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.

4. History…. continued The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint's feast day also thought to be the date of the saint's death. In 1737, Irish immigrants to the United States began observing the holiday publicly in Boston and held the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 1766. The tradition continues with people from all walks and heritages by wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades. St. Patrick's Day is bursting with fun. With the shamrock to the leprechaun and to pinching those that are not wearing green

5. The One Who Started it All The patron saint of Irelansd. It is also known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. St. Patrick is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although St. Patrick's father was a Christian it has been insinuated that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives, but there is no evidence that St.Patrick came from a religious family.

6. Continued….. At the age of sixteen, St.Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They took him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place.) At this time, he worked as a shepherd, lonely he turned to his religion for comfort becoming a Christian. After more than six years as a prisoner, St.Patrick escaped. According to in his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. St.Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, St.Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. St.Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish.

7. Fun St. Patricks Day Recipe IRISH SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS Nonstick vegetable oil spray 2 cups all purpose flour 5 tablespoons sugar, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes 1 cup buttermilk 2/3 cup raisins

8. Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins. Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.