For over a thousand years the Irish have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. Most think St. Patrick wasn’t Irish, but was captured and brought to Ireland as a teenager to work as a slave herding sheep.

In his 30s he became a missionary in Ireland where most Irish practiced a pagan religion. St. Patrick starting teaching Christianity to the Irish, using the shamrock to explain the holy trinity, and eventually these teachings were adapted and the pagan religion was abolished.

March 17 is the day St. Patrick died and traditionally is the day where the Irish would commemorate him, attend mass and have a feast throughout the day.

Today St. Patrick’s Day is definitely not forgotten, with over 100 parades held across the country, but is St. Patrick and what he stands for forgotten?

Sacramento State student MaryEllen Mathis celebrated St. Patrick’s day when she was younger with her family by having the house decorated, going on hunts for gold coins the “leprechauns” hid, enjoying corn beef and cabbage and getting together with her family. Now she see’s how the holiday has become commercialized and Americanized.

“For instance, it’s the perfect marketing and economic opportunity for businesses,” said Mathis. “Consumers take that opportunity as another reason to celebrate this holiday while ensuring solidarity within the community.”

St. Patrick’s Day has come to pinching people who are not wearing green, indulging in green beer, too much Jameson and a night cap of Guinness.

”For the last four years of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day I have noticed more and more people go to the bars, even if the holiday lands on a weekday,” said bartender at the Mercantile Saloon Adam Salazar.

Salazar said St. Patrick’s Day is another excuse for people to go out, drink and have a good time but also likes the idea of being able to dress up in green and be able to partake in a different culture’s festivities.

“I think people celebrate it just to be a part of the fun,” said Salazar. “Just like a lot of people celebrate Cinco De Mayo. “

Although many people might not know the history behind the holiday or why it is relevant in Ireland, it doesn’t stop the festivities from continuing throughout the whole nation.

Sac State student Kevin Ton dressed up as a leprechaun and was hanging out in the quad, on the lawn in front of the library, handing out chocolate gold coins and Lucky Charms cereal bars, embracing the commercialized American spin on St. Patrick’s Day.

“In modern day time it [St. Patrick’s Day] became a reason just to drink alcohol,” said Ton. “I do find that being the reason why people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is just a reason to drink, not really knowing much history about it, but then again we don’t really know much history about much of our holidays.”

Many students wanted to take pictures with Ton and he said because he’s a short guy he fit the stereotype of a leprechaun, and dressing up was a way to have some fun, meet people and find a good distraction from midterms.

Mathis and Salazar both agree that St. Patrick’s Day has been commercialized around drinking, but also think it is a way for the public to get together and be unified. The majority of the community may never know, or care to know, the true meaning and reason behind the holiday, but in this sense uniting cultures will suffice.

“I feel like holidays like these, where we celebrate someone else’s culture brings more people together,” said Salazar. “As a society we tend to go about minding our own business that we tend to lose the relationships we have with people. So it’s cool we get together and live a little.”