Saint Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Interestingly, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.
Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades. The parade at Eureka Springs in Arkansas was fun and colorful (though, true to tradition, green was the dominant color). True to the spirit of the day, I even went a little overboard post-processing my images and gave them a somewhat retro look. Please … please tell me you like them. 🙂
