The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day might be the busiest and most chaotic weekend of the year in Rolla, Missouri, but the question is, why is it such a big deal? First, here is a short background on Saint Patrick.

Saint Patrick lived in the 4th century (385 AD-461 AD) and was taken in as a slave at the age of 16 to Ireland. He managed to escape slavery and converted 432 people to Christianity. He led the building of churches and schools throughout Ireland. Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity (the father, the son, and the holy spirit) to Irishmen. Along with promoting Christianity, Saint Patrick is also rumored to drive all of the snakes out of Ireland. While this has been proven to be false, people view it as a metaphor, as he has driven all of the evil out of Ireland.

Now why would Americans celebrate this holiday? Well, in 1737, immigrants from Boston held the first St. Patrick’s Day parade, and slowly spread in popularity throughout the country. Saint Patrick is also known for being the saint patron of engineering, and with having an engineering school in our backyard, students at Missouri S&T go all out for 10 days counting up to St. Pat’s. The most famous part of St. Pat’s in Rolla is undoubtedly the parade, but Missouri S&T does more than just that. The Miners also hold a royal court, paint the streets and town green, and the students also get an extended break from school.

When you get out on Saturday, remember to be safe, and wear green so you don’t get pinched!