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Things To Do in Portland for St. Patrick's Day 2019
March 13, 2019 — 7 min read
This Sunday, March 17th, is St. Patrick's Day. Aside from wearing green and not getting pinched, what's the story behind this holiday? Today we're going to provide you with a history lesson, followed by a compilation of several Portland-area St. Patrick's Day celebrations and activities.
A Brief History:
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Britain in the late 4th century, kidnapped at the age of 16, and taken to Ireland as a slave. After six years of slavery, St. Patrick escaped, but later returned to Ireland around 432 to convert the Irish to Christianity. St. Patrick died on March 17, 461. By the time of his death, he'd established monasteries, schools, and churches.Legends:
There are several legends associated with St. Patrick. He's said to have raised up to 33 people from the dead. He reportedly prayed to request provisions of food for hungry sailors while they traveled through barren land, and a herd of wild swine miraculously appeared to appease their hunger. A popular legend states that St. Patrick destroyed all the snakes of Ireland by driving them into the sea. The truth is, there are no snakes in Ireland because there's only one native species of reptiles in Ireland, the viviparous lizard. Snakes are not native to Ireland and have no real way to migrate since Ireland is an island. Likely the most popular legend is that of the shamrock. The shamrock legend states that St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, the three persons of God in one, to an unbeliever. The shamrock legend is the source of the tradition for Irishmen wearing shamrocks, the national flower of Ireland, in their lapels on St. Patrick's Day.The origin of secular St. Patrick's Day holiday and tradition:
Irish emigrants to the United States are largely responsible for the modern-day St. Patrick's Day celebration of shamrocks, revelry, green apparel, and all things Irish. Cities with high populations of Irish immigrants, many of whom wielded significant political power, arranged the most widespread celebrations, which often included extravagant parades. Boston's first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in 1737, with New York starting their parade tradition in 1762. Chicago has famously colored its namesake river green since 1962 using a secret formula of dye. The first year Chicago dyed the river, they used 100 lbs of the dye formula, and the color lasted for a week. After several years of fine-tuning and recalculation, the current volume of dye used allows the river to stay green for approximately twenty-four hours before it returns to its natural state.Corned Beef and cabbage:
Corned beef is not considered an Irish national dish. Its association with St. Patrick's Day originates within the Irish-American culture. In Ireland, bacon and cabbage are a common dish. Corned beef was considered an adequate substitute for bacon by Irish immigrants in the 19th century. As a result of that substitution, corned beef and cabbage are a traditional dish consumed by Americans as part of the St. Patrick's Day festivities.Pinching and wearing green:
Why do we wear green on St. Patrick's Day? Blame it on the leprechauns! Folklore says that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns. Leprechauns like to pinch anyone they can see, so wearing green makes you safe from pinches. Some people also believe that wearing green will bring good luck, and others wear it in honor of their Irish ancestry.Things To Do in Portland for
St. Patrick's Day 2019
Kell's Festival- March 15-17
- Free to $25, depending on cover charges and specific events
- Kell's Irish Restaurant--112 SW 2nd Ave, Portland
- 503-227-4057
- Kell's Irish Pub Festival-Portland
- March 17th 2-7pm
- $12 adults, $4 kids 3-18
- Aquinas Hall--340 NE Clackamas St, Portland
- Oregon Irish Society
- March 17th, races start at various times between 8am-5pm
- $49-$99 adults, $19 children
- Starts at Waterfront Park, Portland
- Portland Shamrock Run
- March 16th, Parade 12pm, Carnival 12:30-4:30pm, Food & Beer Garden 12-5pm
- Festival is free; cost varies for carnival games and raffle tickets, food & beer
- Agatha Catholic School--7960 SE 15th Ave, Portland
- 503-234-5500
- St. Agatha Portland St. Patrick's Day Parade
- March 16th, all-day event, with live music from noon-10pm
- Free admission. Food and drink sold separately
- Kennedy School--5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland
- 503-249-3983
- McMenamins St. Patricks Day
- March 16th, 9 am staging, 11 am parade procession
- Free
- Hare Field--1155 NE Grant St, Hillsboro
- 503-640-1124
- Murphy's Portland Parade
- Kickoff party March 15th 5pm-10pm.
- Pub Crawl March 16th & 17th, 1pm-8pm wristband pickup, event runs through closing at participating venues
- $15-25
- Ages 21+
- Registration/Starting point: On Deck Sports Bar & Grill--910 NW 14th Ave Portland
- Portland Irish Stroll
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