March 28, 2025/Midnight 

Erie, PA-– St. Patrick’s Day a holiday where it is socially acceptable to be drinking from sunrise to sunset. Some participants take the festivities very seriously, waking up bright and early at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning to prepare breakfast foods with their favorite alcoholic beverage, a tradition called “Kegs and Eggs”. However, St. Patrick’s Day was originally a solemn Christian holiday. How did this holiday change?

As the legend goes, St. Patrick was a teenager from Britain and was captured by Irish raiders. While captive, he dedicated himself to his Christian religion. During this time, he had a religious vision that helped him escape and with his freedom he spread the religion across Ireland becoming a patron saint of Ireland.

Some other versions of the myth include him getting rid of the all the snakes in Ireland, using the Shamrock to describe The Holy Trinity, and even having the ability to raise people from the dead. March 17 marks the day of St. Patrick’s death and was a historical day of celebratory feasts in Ireland.

Throughout time the contexts of the holiday changed with Irish immigrants coming to America adopting the holiday to celebrate their cultural identity. A day known for its grand parades and a time to visit pubs with friends. Unfortunately, like many holidays in America, St. Patty’s Day was exploited by companies to make money. Bars and beer companies soon commercialized the day as a big drinking holiday. Profiting from ridiculously overcharged green beer.

Now on campuses across the country, weekends around St. Patty’s Day have huge parties. Fraternities host large “darties”, day parties that attract crowds of college students eager to loosen up from studying and exams to have fun. However, this weekend can often support very dangerous binge drinking habits. Some partake in the challenge of having to drink a “blackout rage gallon” (borg) in a night. A borg is a whole–gallon jug mixed with water, flavoring, and alcohol. Other drinking traditions such as doing 17 shots on March 17 often result in many partiers being hospitalized for excessive drinking.

St. Patrick’s Day in America has indeed changed drastically from its original context.

However, even with its religious origin, St. Patrick’s Day in America has been a way for Irish Americans to share and celebrate their culture with their community. Over time, traditions change, and I believe that St. Patrick’s Day has become a day to acknowledge Irish heritage and to spread joy within the community.

So, if you do decide to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans, do it responsibly. As college students, there is a social expectation that these are your years in college to party and try new things. There is also the added pressure of celebrating big events, such as St. Patty’s Day, not to the extent you want but to what is socially expected. All together, these pressures can push people to make bad decisions and drink to an unhealthy amount.

Overall, it is important to do it safely and responsibly. It can be a time to let loose and set your worries on the back burner. However, some people can take the festivities to the extreme. Knowing when to quit and not pressure others into uncomfortable situations is important.