St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday that is celebrated every March 17. The day is packed with parades, good luck charms, and all things green. The event started as a religious holiday in Ireland, but over time it’s become a celebration of Irish culture, according to the History Channel’s website. In Chicago, the city even dyes the Chicago River green to celebrate. Closer to home, Grace Nejmeh, a fifth-grade student at Patrick M. Villano School, has her own family traditions.
“Some St. Patrick’s Day traditions that I do are eating corn beef and cabbage and irish soda bread with my mom,” Nejmeh explained.
Some people, like Demi Paradis in fifth grade, wear green and shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day to represent Ireland.
“I like going to school on St. Patrick’s Day because teachers give us homework passes, and I set up a leprechaun trap with my family,” Paradis said.
Lily Lemken, another fifth-grader, also enjoys the mischievous little folklore fairy.
“My favorite memory is catching the leprechaun and getting a lot of gold coins,” Lemken said.
Food is also a big part of the day. Corned beef and cabbage are a staple for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner in many homes. Some people follow the tradition of corned beef because when Irish immigrants came to America, they didn’t have much money, so they had corned beef because it was an affordable alternative to bacon, according to one food website.
“Potatoes, cabbage and carrot dipped in corn beef sauce,” are favorites Lemken added.
