St. Paddy’s Day: a day for good craic, friendly chatter and celebrating the banishment of snakes from Éire.

As a child, St. Patrick’s Day was a time to wear green and avoid getting pinched. Nowadays, I try to embrace my Irish heritage as much as possible by donning my green clothes and shamrock earrings. So naturally, I was thrilled that I had the chance to celebrate the holiday in its country of origin.

March 17 is the official feast and death day of St. Patrick, who was originally a Welsh man brought to Ireland as a slave. He returned to the country again in his thirties and he is most famously known as the man who brought Christianity to Ireland.

Celtic literature has many tales of Patrick walking with a man named Cailte, roaming Ireland and hearing the stories of the land. Patrick would later appropriate these stories as entertainment, having them written down for later generations.

Two common legends are attributed to St. Patrick: driving away all the snakes from Ireland, and the importance of the shamrock. Patrick introduced the shamrock’s symbolism, using the three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity to the “pagans,” that is, the native people of Ireland at the time.

In Ireland, there are several parades held throughout the country to celebrate, including one that went through downtown Galway. The parade featured local clubs, the fire and rescue team and garda (that’s the police), and several ethnic groups found in Ireland.

To get a better understanding of how the Irish celebrate, I talked with an Irish classmate and friend Helen Lacey. She said people participate in parades and generally wear some item of green clothing.

Similar to what I’ve seen in the States, all I could see around Galway were green leprechaun hats, flags and face paint.

“From the ages of 7 to 12, I took part in parades myself, playing Irish music in them,” Lacey said. “Most years after that, I have gone to watch parades taking place.”

Often, I hear people say “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.” Thinking back to my own experience with the holiday, I believe it has constantly been a time when those of Irish descent can embrace and celebrate their heritage.

A large portion of the Irish population died from the Great Famine in the 1840s, and many more people left for places like America. St. Patrick’s Day has since grown across America and Ireland.

“I think it does have the same importance [in Ireland] as it does in the States,” Lacey said. “There are so many descendants of Irish people living there, and this day … is a chance for them to really embrace their Irish-ness.”

I was proud to go back to my roots by studying abroad in Ireland and I was delighted to be able to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day while I was here. It’s pretty fun to don your green garb, Claddagh ring, Celtic knot necklace, and trinity hat and go out to embrace your heritage.