RJ RILEY
SPORTS EDITOR

The only day of the year it is patriotic for the Irish to have a pint is St. Patrick’s Day. Oh and there was a parade too.

The 23rd annual Toronto’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday March 14 included 17 floats, one for each of Ireland’s counties.

On this wet afternoon, I spoke the Kildare county float flag bearer. He noted, laughing, that he would be heading to the pub after the parade. I asked him why and he told me it was just what the Irish do.

I also spoke with a human-sized glass of stout ale handing out pub advertisements for the post-parade bash. She told me that the purpose of the day has become skewed. She added that it has become a celebration of getting drunk and has lost its Christian roots.

I realized many people enjoying this celebration of Irish culture might not know its origin.

So here it is.

The story goes that Patrick, born in Britain, was kidnapped as a teenager and brought to Ireland as a slave. He later escaped and made his way back to Britain, where he experienced a sign from God that led him to be ordained as a priest.

He then embarked on a journey to Ireland as a missionary, with the aim to spread Christianity around the Emerald Isle.

After 40 years of devout work, he became a national symbol across the island and, 300 years later, was made the patron saint of Ireland.

His colour is actually St. Patrick blue. The green comes from the national Irish colours. He also made the shamrock popular, by using it to explain the Christian holy trinity.

Now where did the drinking come in?

It’s just part of the culture. In the same name of tradition that Canadians shoot off fireworks on Canada Day, the Irish head to the pub on St. Patrick’s Day.

Drinking isn’t skewing the celebration; it is part of the celebration.

As the history of the day points out, the day is dedicated to honouring the person who began the Catholic religion’s conversion of the Irish people, from paganism to Christianity.

If that happened to your people, you’d need a drink too.