Dear {First Name},

Are you Irish? Or are you Irish just on March 17; St. Patrick's day?

St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in the United States since the 19th century and was originally a celebration of immigrants by immigrants. It was brought to America by Irish Catholic immigrants in the mid-19th century. Up until that time, most Irish immigrants were Protestant. According to History.com, The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in America. Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17th  in the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, Florida.

It was over 100 years later that homesick Irish soldiers serving in the British army marched in a parade on March 17, 1762 in New York City. Interest for the parades and St. Patrick's Day spread to Boston and other early American cities. As people and traditions migrated west, the Irish theme moved with them to cities like Chicago.

As a movement, the Irish began to realize their power as a voting block. They began to organize under the title of the "green machine". As such, the parades became a show of political strength as much as a celebration of Irish heritage.

These days, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world in locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia. Popular St. Patrick’s Day recipes include Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage and champ (mashed potatoes with green onions, butter and milk). In the United States, people often wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. And of course, let's not forget green beer.

Lastly, St. Patrick was not even Irish, he was British. He was actually captured in a raiding party to

Great Britian, which in 5th century was the far end of the Roman Empire. As a 16 year-old, he was named Succat. He would go on to become the patron saint of the entire country.

If you would like to read more, I have placed the link to History.com, the source for this information below:

St. Patrick

As always, thanks for reading.