Discovering the Essence of St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick's Day, originally a religious holiday commemorating the death of Saint Patrick, has evolved into a day of celebrating Irish culture through parades, music, special foods, dances, and a lot of green. Saint Patrick was not Irish, his real name was Maewyn Succat, and he was born in Britain. He is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland and using Celtic symbols such as leprechauns and shamrocks to connect the country to Christianity. The famous parades which have now become the heartbeat of the holiday festivities originally began in America in the 18th century by Irish immigrants.