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Not many saints get their own special holiday, at least here in North America. So out of the panoply of Christian saints, why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated whereas others are not? It has a lot to do with his origin story and where he is from, said ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Professor of Global Humanities and Religions Holly Folk.

"In a nutshell, during the Progressive era (late 19th and early 20th centuries), some American holidays were recognized as part of an effort toward multicultural recognition. St. Patrick's Day became a holiday - first unofficially and later officially — during the time when Irish immigrants were striving for a social 'voice.' Similarly, Columbus Day was promoted by Italian immigrants as part of an effort for recognition of their cultural contributions.  

The American Catholic experience carries conflicting attitudes of identification with 'mainstream' American culture and resistance to its homogenizing pressure. From the 19th century on, Catholics celebrated both religious and ethnic solidarity through pageants, parades, and festivals. St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated as early as the 1840s in New York. Originally an Irish fertility festival that was relatively nonsectarian, the holiday became more Catholic in the context of Protestant Nativism.  

Holidays give religious communities a sense of continuity with the past, of keeping traditions alive and thereby participating in something greater than ourselves. Yet the rituals, beliefs, sentiments and aesthetics associated with an event change over time, with some new elements added and others dropped. With some holidays, including St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day, the original religious dimensions have given way to a spirit of cultural celebration."