On St. Patrick’s Day, millions of people wear green and celebrate Irish culture with festivities, fun and possibly a thick, dark beer.

However, most celebrators do not know about the man St. Patrick, the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland.

The myths about St. Patrick include the story that he expelled snakes from Ireland. According to catholic.org, snakes were never actually present in Ireland at all. Ireland is an island enclosed by freezing ocean water far too cold for snakes to ever journey to Ireland from anywhere.

Most people do not know much about the story. But according to catholic.org, snakes frequently signify evil in literature and St. Patrick drove the evil pagan customs out of Ireland. Therefore, the holiday honors Christianity’s arrival in Ireland.

Also known as the Feast of St. Patrick, it is a religious holiday that has evolved into celebrating Irish culture and heritage.

Christians attend church and celebrate later in the day with Lent restrictions lifted, according to history.com. This has stimulated the alcohol consumption St. Patrick’s Day is known for.

“I love the enthusiasm at bars and restaurants, but I’ve never been legally allowed to drink at them before. So, I’m really looking forward to it this year,” junior Aaron Gomez said.

According to history.com, people internationally celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today, many of non-Irish descent.

“I’m not sure if I know the actual history. Since I’m not Irish, the history does not mean much to me,” junior Paul Norick said. “I usually wear green, but that’s all I do.”

“It’s a fun way to get people involved with that culture and I wear green despite my lack of knowledge of its history. I avoid getting pinched,” Gomez said.

Millions of Irish immigrants passed Ireland’s traditions and customs on to the countries they moved to. The United States goes all out on St. Patrick’s Day with parades, overloaded pubs and other green themed festivities.

California Lutheran University students may attend Ventura County’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15 at 10 a.m. on Main Street in Downtown Ventura.

Shannon Cullen
Staff Writer
Published March 12, 2014