St. Patrick’s Day was recently celebrated on Tuesday, March 17. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday to remember Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the country in the 5th century. For high school students, St. Patrick’s Day may not seem like the most important holiday. People’s opinions on this holiday may vary. Many people celebrated the weekend before or after, depending on their schedules. With students being busy, some may not have celebrated at all, while for others it was a great and festive day.
Brogan Klemmensen, a freshman at Owatonna High School, said he celebrated St. Patrick’s Day the weekend prior to March 17 this year. He said, “For St. Patrick’s Day me, my mom, dad, and sister all went to Chicago Illinois and saw the big parade and saw the Chicago river turn green.” Klemmensen does not normally celebrate this holiday to the extent he did this year, but he was very happy with it even though it was cold. His experience shows how some families choose to travel or participate in larger events to celebrate.
(Attley Klemmensen)
Sophomore Zoey Dutton said, “I didn’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day very much, but I did eat lucky charms for breakfast and wear green!” Some students do not necessarily get too decked out in holiday attire but still recognize the day in smaller ways. Dutton talked about how since St. Patrick’s Day was on Tuesday and some students did not have school because of ACT testing, including herself, it made the holiday even better. She said, “I think we should get school off on every St. Patty’s day from now on.” Her perspective highlights how timing and school schedules can influence how students experience holidays.
Ella Thompson, a junior who did in fact attend school for ACT testing on the holiday said, “Unfortunately I had to do testing on St. Patrick’s day so I didn’t really celebrate, but me and my friends did a little [celebrating] the weekend after.” For some students, responsibilities like testing or school activities can limit their ability to celebrate on the actual day, leading them to celebrate at a different time.
Students may have different opinions about St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate the holiday in a variety of ways, ranging from large events and travel, to simple traditions like wearing green. When these students were asked if they know why St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated, they all said “no.” This suggests that while the holiday is widely recognized, its historical meaning may not be as well known among students.
Overall, St. Patrick’s Day at OHS looked different for everyone. Whether students celebrated in big ways, small ways, or not at all, the day still stood out as something that people noticed in their own way.
