Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday long celebrated by the Irish. It celebrates Saint Patrick, who died on March 17, 461. The holiday began 1170 years later, on the anniversary of his death. On March 17, 1631, Christians came together and held a big feast to celebrate Saint Patrick. Three hundred ninety-four years later, it’s still celebrated all around the world, including Lakewood.
Saint Patrick’s Day was recognized in America after being brought over by Irish soldiers. The first-ever Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in America in 1762. The tradition reached Ireland, where they began their annual parade in Dublin.
Nowadays countries such as Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, Montserrat, America, Russia, Singapore, Canada, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Norway, and Spain all celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.
In the early 1820s, Irish immigrants began arriving in Cleveland due to the Great Famine. Many citizens of Cleveland and Lakewood today have Irish descent. According to the 2020 US census, 13.4% of the population of the Greater Cleveland area have Irish ancestry. That makes up nearly 300,000 people in the Greater Cleveland area alone.
The first-ever Cleveland Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1842 and is one of the oldest in Ohio. It was staged by Catholic Priest Reverend McLaughlin. The parade held this year was the one-hundred-eighty-third parade.
Throughout the years, different regions have celebrated the holiday in different ways. Chicago holds a parade every year and dyes their river green. Recently, there have been discussions about bringing this tradition to Cleveland and dyeing our river green as well.
Eco-aware concerned citizens oppose the idea. Dyes with oil in them could cause the river to catch on fire once again. However, Green Matters research shows that non-oil-based green dye has minimal environmental impact on the Chicago River.
Irish citizens of Lakewood spend the holiday in downtown Cleveland, watching the parade. Lakewood resident of Irish descent, Edy Keeper, believes Saint Patrick’s Day is well represented in the town.
“I believe that Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated very correctly,” Keeper said.
Senior Luke Burke has many relatives involved in the festivities.
“My grandmother owns a float in the parade,” Burke said. “It’s so cool being able to see her float downtown every year.”
On the weekend of Saint Patrick’s Day, locals can be seen roaming the streets of downtown Lakewood at all hours of the day. Dressed in green, hopping from bar to bar, the celebration lasts through Lakewood until March 17.
A local bartender of O’Donnell’s Pub, Shannon McMitchell, comments on the popularity of bars over the weekend.
“Being an Irish pub we get really busy,” McMitchell said. “It can get a bit overwhelming at times because we have a mix of regulars and the holiday crowd.”
“I always make sure to come here on Saint Patrick’s Day. The holiday folks make it interesting,”
Brian Sheffield, a O’Donnell’s regular, said.
Non-Irish residents also participate in the festivities. German exchange student Ture Czymmek went downtown to see the celebration.
“I love experiencing different cultures and their traditions even though I’m not a part of them,” Czymmek said. “I love celebrating diversity and culture from different countries.”
Luke Burke also gets his friends to participate in Saint Patrick’s Day.
“Almost none of my friends are Irish but I get them all to celebrate,” Burke said. “Me and my brother have a party every year with traditional Irish food and festivities. Everyone is always really excited about it and it’s always super amazing and fun.”
Senior Dawson Rossen also celebrated the day.
“I went to a pub to watch my friend Irish dance,” Rossen said. “I felt embraced by the Irish culture, I was getting jiggy with it.”
The popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day in the Cleveland area is undeniable. People from all different cultures and backgrounds come together on March 17 to watch the parade and celebrate, and they’ve been doing it for one hundred and eighty-three years.
