Why Do Americans Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Ever since my first (and only) visit to Boston in 2004, I couldn't help but notice just how much Americans love to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Who can blame them? But it got me wondering something:  how did this come about?

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Laurence Brown is a British writer and YouTuber who somehow convinced the city of Chicago to let him in. He is an English Language graduate from Lancaster University and a passionate word etymologist, with a particular interest in British and American neologisms. Since moving to the United States, he has become increasingly curious about Britain's historical influence on American culture and about America in general.