Please join us as we participate in the
4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Wantagh on Sunday March 17, 2024, at 1pm.
With Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner, many of us are already thinking about Parades,
The Wearin’ of the Green, and gastrointestinal delights like soda bread, corned beef, cabbage, and of course, a fine ale or stout to mark the day!
Did you know some of these traditions are American traditions and not so much imported from the auld sod? For instance,
- The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade was first held in 1762, before we were even an official country, and years before the signing of the Declaration of Independance. It continues to be the largest St. Patrick’s parade in the world, still going strong after 260 years!
In contrast, the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ireland was held in 1903 in Waterford.
- The “Wearin’ of the Green” in the States began as an outward sign of one’s Irish heritage, and the practice has been adopted by most who join in the celebrations of the day. In Ireland in the 1800s, wearing the of the green was a symbol of Irish nationalism (as opposed to being a “loyalist” or subject of the Crown). It is also rumored that the notion you may be ‘pinched’ by a leprechaun if you wear a color other than green, is an American born myth.
- While bacon and cabbage might be the option in Ireland, or bacon along with some Colcannon, corned beef is not something one would normally serve in Ireland. Corned beef, a brisket cut of beef brined in salt, was adopted by early Irish immigrants because it was more affordable.
- Soda bread in the states usually includes raisins and maybe caraway or fennel.
But the basic soda bread of flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk is traditional.
While these traditions were not exactly ‘imported’ from Ireland, here are a few American things that were!
Ford Automobiles: Henry Ford established the first Ford plant in Europe in County Cork, Ireland. That is where his family was from. The factory was opened in 1917 and manufactured the Escort, Cortina, and the Ford Prefect, among others. The last car produced in this plant before its closure in 1984 was the Ford Sierra.
In the 1950s, American business partners James Conway and William Curtis began production of
The Shamrock Car in Castleblaney, Ireland for export to the US. After many trials and tribulations, this luxury car model was abandoned because of design flaws. Only about 10 cars were produced, and 5 are said to exist in Ireland, 4 in the Unted States.
Fun facts!
