Shamrock shakes, green beads, parties, the Irish, green everywhere. Saint Patrick’s Day has seemingly evolved from the celebration of the Irish heritage to beer-soaked partying.

Saint Patrick was a missionary in the 1730s that went to Ireland to try to convert people to Catholicism. He’s celebrated because of the Catholic religion and the beer that he had brought to Ireland. One of the most famous symbols of Saint Patrick and Ireland is the green shamrock. This plant was used as an Irish a symbol for trinity, but now many people associate it with Saint Patrick’s Day, and the Irish heritage. People traditionally drink beer on St. Patrick’s day to honor his bringing it to Ireland.

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the day that St. Patrick died. It has been celebrated yearly since 1737, and in 2015 the holiday still remains hugely popular.

Currently, when people think of Saint Patrick’s day, they may think of the beer and alcohol served at wild and crazy parties. The Chicago river, beer and, ketchup dyed green or even the shamrock shakes that are served occasionally at McDonald’s.

A recent census that was done in 2013 shows that around 39.6 billion people in the US claim they have Irish heritage.

People come together on St. Patrick’s day, whether they share Irish blood or not, and celebrate the holiday.

For example, Thomas Mckee, who is of Irish descent, annually celebrates Saint Patrick’s day with a party. He invites friends and family to bond over food, beverages, campfires and games.

St. Patty’s Day is known for the wild parties because of the beer involved. There are two major reasons for the heavy drinking; one is because Saint Patrick introduced Ireland to the drink, and second, due to the amount of people on lent for their religion. Therefore many people took this as an opportunity to regain energy. This tradition has been passed on, and still lives to this day.

Leprechauns are also known for their history with the Irish. The legend of the leprechaun tells that if someone hear a shoemaker’s hammer, there could be a leprechaun. But once they catch it, they can’t stop looking at it or else it’ll trick them. Leprechauns are famously known for having a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.The Leprechaun is associated with Saint Patrick day though, because Saint Patrick’s day is a day where the Irish’s tradition and culture is celebrated. The Leprechaun is a big legend in Ireland; therefore, it is celebrated here.

Overall, even though the holiday traditions may have changed over the years, Saint Patrick’s Day still lives on.