We never knew why we had to eat the same meal every St. So where did this tradition come from? To really know where the tradition came from, we have to turn our clocks back… Way back. To the Middle Ages. From the Middle Ages until sometime in the 19th century, the Irish were known for producing salted meats. Many people wear something green on that day, signifying a link to the color most associated with Ireland. Others lift a pint or two of beer at a pub or try corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew.
About that tradition, well, we need to talk. Back in the day, people in Ireland would have celebrated the feast day with a meal of Irish stew and soda bread, or maybe a meal of pork and potatoes, which was inexpensive. What has become a tradition of eating corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St.
They substituted beef for pork and cabbage for potatoes. OK, at least the snake story is true, right? Some think the story that Patrick drove the snakes into the sea was really an allegory for him driving the pagan practices out of the country to make room for Christianity.
Since brisket is a tougher cut, the salting and cooking processes transformed the meat into the extremely tender, flavorful corned beef we know of today. The Irish may have been drawn to settling near Jewish neighborhoods and shopping at Jewish butchers because their cultures had many parallels. Both groups were scattered across the globe to escape oppression, had a sacred lost homeland, discriminated against in the US, and had a love for the arts.
There was an understanding between the two groups, which was a comfort to the newly arriving immigrants. It is not a coincidence that James Joyce made the main character of his masterpiece Ulysses , Leopold Bloom, a man born to Jewish and Irish parents. On St. The Irish Americans transformed St. With the celebration, came a celebratory meal. The popularity of corned beef and cabbage never crossed the Atlantic to the homeland.
Instead of corned beef and cabbage, the traditional St. In fact, many of what we consider St. And, until , pubs were closed by law in Ireland on St. It was originally a day about religion and family. Today in Ireland, thanks to Irish tourism and Guinness, you will find many of the Irish American traditions. Lastly, if you are looking for a connection to the home country this holiday, there are many other ways to be authentic.
For starters, know that the holiday is either St. Patty's Day". Paddy is the proper nickname for Patrick, while Patty is a girl's name in Ireland. Editor's note, March 17, The last paragraph of this story has been edited to better reflect the proper nomenclature for celebrating St. Paddy's Day. Shaylyn Esposito is the lead digital designer and creative strategist for the Smithsonian online publishing group.
Irish cow near Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, Ireland Photo by author The Irish diet and way of life stayed pretty much the same for centuries until England conquered most of the country. Western Ireland was hit the hardest by the famine. The westernmost region of Ireland, Aran Islands, Co. Photo by author In America, the Irish were once again faced with the challenges of prejudice. The infamous St. Photo courtesy of flickr user jeffreyw The Irish Americans transformed St.
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