The upcoming holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, is a religious holiday that was originally celebrated in Ireland in honor of a man named St. Patrick, a man famous for bringing Roman Catholicism to Ireland.  After St. Patrick introduced Catholicism to Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day became a day to commemorate Catholicism in Ireland. When Irish immigrants came to the United States,  the day became a day to celebrate the Irish culture they brought with them.

Ireland has many traditions they observe to honor this holiday, including having parade and festivals, but one of the main traditions that everyone observes on this day is to wear the color green.  Irish immigrants in the United States believed that wearing the color made them invisible to leprechauns, the classic fairy creatures who pinch anyone they can see.  Those who choose not to wear green on March 17 understand they risk being pinched throughout the day.

In Illinois, perhaps the most famous St. Patrick’s Day tradition is the dying green of the Chicago River.