He San Patricio Day It is one of those parties that have transcended borders and generations, becoming a global event in which tradition, history and culture are mixed with fun. Although its origin is purely religious, In honor of the patron of Irelandover time it has evolved to become a day marked by parades, green clothing and, of course, beer in abundance. Cities around the world, from Dublin to New York, Chicago or even Buenos Aires, are dyed green in honor of San Patricio, and pubs are filled with people willing to provide with a pint in their hands. But, beyond the festive atmosphere and the euphoria of this day, there is a Fascinating story that explains why beer is the star drink of this celebration.
Far from being a simple excuse for massive alcohol consumption, the tradition of drinking beer on March 17 has deep roots in Irish history and in the figure of San Patricio himself. From the special permits that broke the fast from Lent to the influence of the Irish community in the United States, every detail has a reason that makes us understand why drinking beer becomes almost a obligation When San Patricio’s day arrives. And we cannot forget in addition to the iconic Green beerwhich many associate with this holiday, and that also has a curious and somewhat unexpected origin. Next, we tell you how and why beer became an inseparable symbol of St. Patrick’s Day, And what is the hidden story behind this custom that by the way, also marks the holiday in Spain, where this day is also celebrated for years.
Why do you drink beer on San Patricio’s day?
He San Patricio Day It is known as a day of celebration in which everyone It usually drinks beer that also in Ireland is served in green. A celebration to party with friends And sing Irish music even if you don’t know the lyrics. We know that large amounts of alcohol are drink and many pints of green beer on San Patricio day, but have you ever wondered why? To know the reasons we must travel to the past of this celebration and also know who San Patricio was.
Who was San Patricio?
First of all, San Patricio is the patron saint of Ireland. Born in Great Britain when it was governed by the Romans, at some point in the 5th century at age DE 16 years, was captured by Irish pirates and forced to work as a slave in Ireland. He lived there for six years until he gathered the courage to try to escape. He escaped, hid in a boat and walked through the forest of Great Britain For 28 days before finding his freedom and later became a priest. Then, He returned to Ireland to share his teachings about Christianityand left such an impression that a few hundred years after his death, he was granted an official designation of Santo: St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is said that he died on March 17, 461 AD
The San Patricio Day Tradition in Ireland
In Ireland there are many traditions of the day of St. Patrick. These include services Religious, parades, festivals and wear green clothes. Originally, the color associated with San Patricio’s day was blue; He changed green in the 1600s when people started using clovers (which have three leaves, not four) and green ribbons on San Patricio’s day.
And another of the great Traditions is that of Drink beer That as we have already said it usually serves as green, but what is the cause of it?
The story for which beer is drink in San Patricio
The main cause lies in the fact that San Patricio Day is celebrated on March 17, day the saint died. This date falls during the Christian Lent season, A time in which some foods and drinks should be avoided, including alcohol. However, only for this day, Irish Christians eliminate the fasted requirements of Lent And they organize great meetings to honor the life of their patron saint and of course you cannot miss their best known drink: beer.
The second reason why beer is drunk on this day has to do with Irish immigration in the 1840s. Thousands of Irish immigrants went to the main New England cities in the 1840s when they fled what was known as the Pope famine in Ireland. They carried with them their religion and culture and also that tradition of drinking beer on this day, causing that In the United States it is a symbol and that in fact, like other popular festivals, It has taken advantage of the fact that Everyone knows that the custom is to go to a pub to provide Ireland drinking beer.
Thus, San Patricio’s day is distinguished by the end of Lent and the tribute to its national heritage. And on the other hand, The St Patrick’s Day is the best American party to drink beer. This indicates that, compared to any other day of the year, more people drink beer in bars at home.
According to official data, worldwide are consumed daily 5.5 million pints from Guinness. On March 17, San Patricio’s Day, the amount increases to 13 million.
Why the beer that is drink in San Patricio is green
On the other hand, it is usually seen how in many bars and pubs green beer is served on this day. It is believed that real green beer began at the beginning of the 20th century in New York. A 1914 journalistic article describes a New York social club that serves green beer at a San Patricio Day celebration dinner. In the article, The drink is attributed to Dr. Curtina forensic doctor who achieved the effect of green beer putting something that to date was unknown to the vast majority.
All the local clients were very surprised, and the journalist Charles Henry Adamswho was there, wrote a report on the green beer for the newspaper ‘The Evening Independent’. However, nobody knew what Dr. Thomas Hayes had done so that beer went from being amber to green.
Well, in reality it was a drop of Blue bleachan iron powder solution that was used at the time to bleach clothes. Today it is considered poisonous, so over the years it was replaced by food dyes, which do not alter the composition or taste of the drink.
