St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated on Monday, March 17th. It is a celebration of Ireland’s patron saint who was a fifth century Christian missionary. In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated as a Roman Catholic feast day beginning in the ninth or tenth centuries. It was strictly a religious holiday there until 1995. In fact, up until 1962 pubs were closed by law on St. Patrick’s Day.
St. Patrick's Day parades have occurred in the United States since the 17th century. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred on March 17, 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida. The parade was organized by Ricardo Artur who was an Irish bishop. The first parade in New York City occurred in 1762 by Irish soldiers in the British Army. Philadelphia had their first parade in 1771 and Savannah held a parade in the 1800s. The Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day parade will occur on Saturday, March 22nd on Mclean Avenue.
Besides attending parades, people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by eating cornbeef and cabbage (not traditional Irish cuisine) and wearing green.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and Irish American Heritage Month, the Yonkers Public Library is hosting programs about Irish heritage and culture. Take a look on our online calendar to see our program listing.
St. Patrick’s Day Reading List
How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill
The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan
The Mammy by Brendan O’Carroll
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library. He is currently reading the The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson.