While St. Patrick’s Day is oftentimes associated with Ireland, the biggest celebrations for the holiday take place in the U.S.
Around the country, people wear green, eat green foods, and sometimes, even whole rivers will be dyed green, as it’s a yearly tradition in Chicago. But why do Americans love St. Paddy’s Day so much? Brian Britt, a professor of religion and culture at Virginia Tech explains why.
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“The growth of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago is fascinating, as they quickly went far beyond their origins in particular fraternal organizations and the feast of the snake-purging saint. During the 20th century “troubles” between the Irish and the British, St. Patrick’s Day once again became an occasion for Americans to side with the underdog in a conflict that echoed the story of the American Revolution. The appeal of this framing can be seen today in Boston, where some celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day will welcome Latin Americans targeted by anti-immigration campaigns.”
rian Britt, professor of religion and culture at Virginia Tech
Admin Husic, an assistant professor of water resources engineering at Virginia Tech, also explored the impact of dying a river green may have on the environment.
"The dyes that are used to color rivers are nontoxic and have relatively little impact or known risk to the ecosystem. Despite the dyes meeting certain health standards and requirements, their exact composition is not known. As the dye formulation has changed over the years, so too has the persistence of the dye in the environment. In the past, rivers would stay green for up to a week, but in the present day the dyeing typically lasts less than a day. While the visual effect of river dyeing is dramatic, the dye is diluted fairly quickly by the flow of the river. The dye is vegetable-based and presumably degrades in the environment."
Admin Husic, assistant professor of water resources engineering at Virginia Tech
