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We run poetry and creative writing competitions throughout the year for Primary and Secondary Schools in the UK and USA. Let’s make writing fun!

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St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture that takes place annually on March 17, the anniversary of the patron saint of Ireland's death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.

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When Is St. Patrick's Day 2023?

St. Patrick's Day 2023

Fri, Mar 17, 2023 - 6 countries

Fri, Mar 17, 2023 / Mon, Mar 20, 2023 - Canada

St. Patrick's Day 2024

Sun, Mar 17, 2024 - 6 countries

Sun, Mar 17, 2024 / Mon, Mar 18, 2024 - Canada

St Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around March 17. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.

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What Do People Do?

St Patrick's Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish communities and organizations. Many people wear an item of green clothing on the day. Parties featuring Irish food and drinks that are dyed in green food color are part of this celebration. It is a time when children can indulge in sweets and adults can enjoy a "pint" of beer at a local pub. Many restaurants and pubs offer Irish food or drink, which include:

Irish brown bread.

Corned beef and cabbage.

Beef and Guinness pie.

Irish cream chocolate mousse cake.

Irish coffee.

Irish potato champ, also known as poundies, cally or pandy.

Irish stew.

Irish potato soup.

Some people plan a pilgrimage to St Patrick's Purgatory, which is commonly associated with penance and spiritual healing since the early 13th century. It is on Station Island in Lough Derg in County Donegal where St Patrick had a vision promising that all who came to the sanctuary in penitence and faith would receive a pardon for their sins.

Public Life

St Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland ( United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland. St Patrick's Day is also a festive occasion in some parts of the world where it is not a public holiday. Therefore traffic and parking may be temporarily affected in streets and public areas where parades are held in towns and cities.

Background

St Patrick is one of the patron saints of Ireland. He is said to have died on March 17 in or around the year 493. He grew up in Roman Britain, but was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave when he was a young adult. After some years he returned to his family and entered the church, like his father and grandfather before him. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary and worked in the north and west of the country.

According to popular legend, St Patrick rid Ireland of snakes. However, it is thought that there have been no snakes in Ireland since the last ice age. The "snakes" that St Patrick banished from Ireland, may refer to the druids or pagan worshipers of snake or serpent gods. He is said to be buried under Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, Ireland. Ireland's other patron saints are St Brigid and St Columba.

Luke Wadding, a Franciscan scholar born in 1588 in Waterford, on the south coast of Ireland, was influential in ensuring that the anniversary of St Patrick's death became a feast day in the Catholic Church. Many Catholic churches traditionally move St Patrick's Day to another date if March 17 falls during Holy Week.

Many immigrants from Ireland fled to other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the 19th and 20th centuries. Many Irish customs, including the St Patrick's Day celebrations, became quite popular in these countries. However, much of the interest in the St Patrick's Day events is largely commercially driven in the 21st century.

Symbols

The most common St Patrick's Day symbol is the shamrock. The shamrock is the leaf of the clover plant and a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Many people choose to wear the color green and the flag of the Republic of Ireland is often seen in St Patrick's Day parades around the world. Irish brands of drinks are popular at St Patrick's Day events.

Religious symbols include snakes and serpents, as well as the Celtic cross. Some say that Saint Patrick added the Sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross. Other Irish-related symbols seen on St Patrick's Day include the harp, which was used in Ireland for centuries, as well as a mythological creature known as the leprechaun and a pot of gold that the leprechaun keeps hidden.

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Fri, Mar 17, 2023 - 6 countries Fri, Mar 17, 2023 / Mon, Mar 20, 2023 - Canada Sun, Mar 17, 2024 - 6 countries Sun, Mar 17, 2024 / Mon, Mar 18, 2024 - Canada St Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around March 17.

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Bring out your green! St. Patrick's Day-observed every March 17-is packed with parades, good luck charms, and all things green. The event started as a religious holiday, but over time it's become a celebration of Irish culture.

CELEBRATED SAINT

St. Patrick might be the patron saint of Ireland-but he didn't always live in Ireland. Patrick was born in Britain in the fourth century and didn't arrive in Ireland until he was 16 years old, when he was sent to work in the country.

After he arrived, Patrick became interested in Christianity and started teaching others about the religion. He is said to have converted many of the country's residents to Christians, and now St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the day Patrick supposedly died.

MYTHS BUSTED

St. Patrick was a real person, but some of the traditions associated with him and the holiday are actually myths. For instance, you'll often see the four-leaf clover on St. Patrick's Day. However, according to legend, Patrick used a three-leaf clover, or shamrock, as part of his teachings. Even though it's possible for a shamrock to grow a fourth leaf, a four-leaf clover is just considered a symbol of good luck.

Another legend says that Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland. The problem? These creatures never actually lived in the country. In fact many animals found throughout Europe and North America don't live on the island of Ireland-the ocean keeps the critters away.

GOING GREEN

The fact that Ireland is an island-as well as green with leafy trees and grassy hills-means that the nation is sometimes called the Emerald Isle. But the color that people originally associated with St. Patrick was blue! (Some ancient Irish flags even sport this color.) Green was finally introduced to St. Patrick's Day festivities in the 18th century, when the shamrock (which is, of course, green) became a national symbol. Because of the shamrock's popularity and Ireland's landscape, the color stuck to the holiday.

Green is also the color that mythical fairies called leprechauns like to dress in-today, at least. But tales about leprechauns date back to before green was in: The fairies were first described as wearing red.

TODAY'S TRADITIONS

Leprechauns are actually one reason you're supposed to wear green on St. Patrick's Day-or risk getting pinched! The tradition is tied to folklore that says wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns, which like to pinch anyone they can see. Some people also think sporting the color will bring good luck, and others wear it to honor their Irish ancestry. No wonder green decorations can be seen all over-the Chicago River in Illinois is even dyed green each year to celebrate the holiday.

Another tradition includes many Irish-American people in the United States eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. People also gather to watch parades of traditional Irish dancers and musicians as they march through city streets. However you celebrate, here's hoping it's a lucky day!

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Bring out your green! St. Patrick's Day-observed every March 17-is packed with parades, good luck charms, and all things green. The event started as a religious holiday, but over time it's become a celebration of Irish culture. St. Patrick might be the patron saint of Ireland-but he didn't always live in Ireland.