St. Patrick’s Day is a good example of a “Communication of the Sacra” celebration.  This form of religious celebration is characterized by a display of sacred objects, instruction of ethics and correct behavior, and a recital of mythical narratives.  This type of celebration is divided into three different parts, which are: the exhibition, or “what is shown”, the actions, or “what is done”, and the instruction, or “what is said” (Turner and Turner: 203-204). 

              The exhibition of St. Patrick’s Day would include all of the symbolic elements associated with the holiday.  Any images of St. Patrick, and the symbols mentioned above such as the shamrocks, harps, leprechaun and fairy images and anything green would be included in the exhibition portion of this celebration.  The actions of St. Patrick’s Day are especially present now with the recent development of the St. Patrick’s Day Festival.  The music, dancing, and parades are all great examples of actions that take place on this holiday.  Also, the feast of St. Patrick that took place in the 1600s would be another example of an action used in the celebration of this holiday.  The instruction of St. Patrick’s Day can be identified in the story telling.  There are several legends that go along with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day that I mentioned before.  These are the legends that St. Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland and that he used the shamrock to teach the message of the Holy Trinity.  Both of these are good examples of instruction. 

              I think all holidays have some sort of cultural significance because they usually tend to bring societies together for a brief amount of time.  Celebrations serve as a great source of unity.  Like any other holiday, St. Patrick’s Day is important because it provides the unity that I just mentioned.  When the holiday was first originated, it was celebrated by all social classes in Ireland.  It is rare that cultures will find a specific holiday that will include all classes, from the highest elites in the society to the lowest peasants.   Even though St. Patrick’s Day was originally intended to be a religious celebration, it is now celebrated by many different people from all different cultural and religious backgrounds.  St. Patrick’s Day has shifted from a religious celebration to a cultural celebration.  This is another good example of the effects of globalization.  The original intent of St. Patrick’s Day was to show respect for a deceased patron saint.  Today, many different countries celebrate this holiday in a cultural context.  A lot of American’s see this holiday as an excuse to party.  Guinness, a popular Irish beer, sells about 15% of annual U.S. volume in March, with sales surging 30% to 40% on St. Patrick’s Day (Howard). 

              St. Patrick’s Day is also good for Ireland’s economy.  With the recent addition of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, tourists come from all around to be a part of the five day celebration of the Irish heritage.  To a lot of cultures, St. Patrick’s Day is an excuse to throw a good party, but there is a much deeper cultural significance to the Irish people.  Although they do like to celebrate with parties and parades, they also recognize the original intent of the holiday, which was is to honor the patron saint, St. Patrick.