While the last month has brought a few winter storms to the East Coast, spring is officially here in Philadelphia. Before April arrives, our team at Geno’s Steaks hopes to spend time remembering the past month’s major events. Geno’s Steaks, home of the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia, has been decorated in festive green lights for the past 30 days in honor of not one but two important March events. While many American’s associated green with the March 17th Saint Patrick’s Day celebration, for the past fourteen years, green has also been used to show support for Cerebral Palsy Awareness throughout the month of March. Below, our team will discuss March’s Cerebral Palsy Awareness as well as the history of Saint Patrick’s Day.
Cerebral Palsy Awareness
Today, more than 1,000,000 people living in the United States have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Each year, another 8,000 children are diagnosed with the congenital disorder. Cerebral palsy is a disorder that impacts a person’s mobility and ability to maintain balance and posture. Cerebral palsy, or CP, is often caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the brain during pregnancy. While the symptoms of cerebral palsy can significantly vary, those with severe cerebral palsy may not be able to walk or need lifelong care. In 2006, the cerebral palsy advocate group Reaching for the Stars (RFTS) named March National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month with Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day falling on March 25th. RFTS hopes to call attention to cerebral palsy and raise more research funding for those living with this disability. To show support, RFTS asks people to wear the color green and use green lights to decorate their homes and businesses throughout the month of March.
Geno’s Steaks hopes to encourage other Philadelphians to decorate their storefronts and homes and show their support for those living with Cerebral Palsy. To donate to Cerebral Palsy research efforts, click here.
St. Patty’s Day
Although many 2021 Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Geno’s Steaks hopes that Philadelphians were still able to enjoy the holiday on March 17th. The cultural and religious celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day is held in honor of the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick is most well-known for being a 5th-century missionary sent to Ireland, where he would later serve as bishop of the island. In the early 1600s, Saint Patrick’s Day became an official Christian feast day observed by the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. While Saint Patrick’s Day falls during Lent’s observance, Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were historically lifted during the celebration, which has led to today’s modern Saint Patty’s Day traditions.
