St. Patrick's Day History
The celebration of St.
Patrick’s Day is very closely associated with Irish Catholic America today. But
like several other American cultural celebrations or rituals, such as placing
candles on birthday cakes, hiding decorated eggs on Easter Sunday or bringing
evergreen trees into our homes during the Christmas season, we participate in
the ritual even though we’ve lost or are unaware of the story behind the
action.
The
rituals of St. Patrick’s Day parades, Irish music and dancing and the wearing
of a bit o’ green didn’t occur in a vacuum, but have developed over a course of
265 years of historical situations and events. The early history of the first
Irish Catholics of Foxborough is a poignant reminder of how subtly historical
events can fade from the collective memory of a community or society.
The
first recorded festivities associated with St. Patrick occurred in Boston on March 17, 1737 , with the
founding of the Charitable Irish Society by 28 Ulster Presbyterian Protestants.
The association was established “to aid unfortunate fellow countrymen, to
cultivate a spirit of unity and harmony among all Irishmen in the Massachusetts colony and
their descendants, and to advance their interests socially and morally.” The
expressed purpose of the association was to assist fellow Irish immigrants in
the traumatic process of settling in a strange new city and country. In most cases,
Catholics were specifically banned from participation, but by 1742, wealthy
Catholic members had joined the Society.
The
honor of the first St.
Patrick’s Day parade belongs to New
York City . In 1762, a group of Irish militiamen were
on their way to a St. Patrick’s Day tavern breakfast when they decided to march
behind their band and display their regimental banners. The spectacle delighted
participants and onlookers. It was the birth of an American way of life and the
ritual of the marching on March 17 to the sound of Irish tunes.
During
the American War of Independence, military celebrations also took place on
March 17. It was on March
17, 1776 , that the British evacuated the city of Boston and George Washington led the American
rebels into the city to take possession. In 1778, Washington ’s army at Valley
Forge celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.
Between
1801 and 1921, more than eight million people emigrated from Ireland . Most
of the emigrants settled in America ,
especially in the cities of Boston ,
New York , Chicago and Philadelphia . The longing for home turned
into homesickness, which was sentimentalized in songs. St. Patrick’s Day
provided the perfect occasion for the Irish to lament together their native
homeland. It also was an occasion to join together in celebrating their
nationality. The military example had displayed the effectiveness of marching
behind an Irish band that was enjoyed by spectators and marchers. Parading in
green along the street and playing uplifting, rousing melodic music ensured an
enjoyable occasion of patriotic self-indulgence.
The
first evidence of Irish Catholics living in Foxborough dates to around 1830. It
was an era characterized by city-dwelling Irish Catholics migrating out into
the outlying rural communities. The impetus for this migration centered on the
harnessing of steam power that resulted in the building of railroads and
factories throughout the region. The demand for labor to dig foundations, lay
iron tracks, construct bridges, operate machinery, work the farms and provide
domestic service were the principle reason for the influx of Irish Catholics
migrating to Foxboro and the surrounding towns.
The
best evidence that documents the presence of Irish Catholics living in
Foxborough is located within the archives of Archdiocese of Boston. It is one
of the original posters printed in 1861 advertising the first celebration of
St. Patrick’s Day in Foxborough. In addition, it announces the completion of
the first church building, originally located on the site of the present
Knights of Columbus hall. This new church was strategically located to serve
the Irish Catholics not only of Foxborough, but also of Mansfield, Franklin,
Walpole and Wrentham — which at that time included the areas of Norfolk and Plainville . The poster
also advertises a grand celebration, including a procession to be formed at the
pastor’s residence to march to the new church and a Mass. The distinguished artists listed
include Professor M. J. Mooney’s “celebrated choir” accompanied by Miss
Josephine O’Donnell of Roxbury. It advertises that the Mass will be one of
Mozart’s sung by the pastor, Father Michael X. Carroll, with a “grand concert”
to be given in the evening. The poster describes St. Patrick’s Day as a “great
and national occasion.”
By
the 1900s, second- and third-generation Irish Americans were established as an
influential and powerful section of American society. The St. Patrick’s Day
parade provided an opportunity for the community to celebrate not only its
ethnic origin but also its successful integration into American society.
Today,
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated throughout the world. The parades are mostly
secular, communal celebrations where the saint and his life are forgotten. In
this way, the celebration is one in which we perform the ritual but are unaware
of why we perform the actions.
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