The Irish pride emergers once again as people in Chicago celebrate the yearly St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It’s another Green Day as the people dyed the Chicago River into Green again as to celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day Festivity. This year, the downtown St. Patrick’s Day celebration began early,  part of it due to rainy weather, but mostly because of the demise of the city’s South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Although the parade was over Saturday evening, the celebration of Irish pride was expected to go on for several more hours. Other celebrations were set to take place Sunday on the city’s South Side and at several suburban locations.

So what is St. Patrick’s Day all about? Who is St. Patrick? When is St. Patrick’s Day? Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) also known colloquially “St. Paddy’s Day” or “Patrick’s/Paddy’s Day”  – is an annual feast day that celebrates St. Patrick (circa AD 387–493), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on 17 March. He tried to convert the Irish people from a Pagan polytheistic religion that worshipped the sun and the moon to Christianity. He also created and taught at many schools along Ireland’s west coast. One of his teaching methods included using the shamrock ( a 3-leaved plant)  to explain the Holy Trinity (the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of teaching and spreading God’s word he died on March 17th 461 AD. Soon after his death the country of Ireland decided to remember his death with a day of his own and thus St. Patrick’s Day was born.

Why go Green on St. Patrick’s Day? Originally the color associated with St. Patrick was blue, not green. However over the years the color green and its association with St. Patrick’s day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick’s Day as early as the 17th century.

Today, Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike. Many people, regardless of ethnic background, wear green-coloured clothing and items. Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched, usually affectionately. Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges and had the idea to turn the river green for St. Patrick’s Day. Originally 100 pounds of vegetable dye was used to turn the river green for a whole week but now only forty pounds of dye is used and the colour only lasts for several hours.

Just to remind our readers, it’s also Daylight Savings Time 2010. Yes, Time Change 2010 already and adjusting an hour to clocks is advised.

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