• St. Patrick's Day is the Catholic feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Culturally, it is celebrated by wearing green or orange, eating Irish food and drinking Irish stout, like Guinness. Large parades are held in Dublin, Ireland, New York City, New York, Montreal, Quebec, and Savannah, Georgia.

• Fast Facts

  1. Date: March 17
  2. In 2009, St. Patrick's Day falls on a Tuesday
  3. Believed to be the date of Saint Patrick's death
  4. Sometimes moved because it falls during Holy Week
  5. Moved to April 3 in 1940 to avoid Palm Sunday
  6. Moved in 2008: March 15 for novus ordo liturgy
  7. Originated: early 17th century
  8. National holiday in Ireland
  9. Public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Montserrat, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
  10. Widely celebrated, but not an official holiday in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and New Zealand

• Who Was St. Patrick?

  Very little actual history is written about the legendary St. Patrick, who allegedly drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Born to wealthy parents in Britain, the young man who later became known as Paidrag, was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. As he lived out his days in fear, he turned to God. After six years in captivity, he escaped and went back home, where he went into a monastery to prepare himself to fulfill God's duty. He believed that he was guided by visions from God, compelling him to return to Ireland with Christianity.History.com: Who Was St. Patrick?

• St. Patrick's Day Traditions

  Because the ancient Celts were part of an oral culture, Irish music is one of St. Patrick's Day's most treasured traditions. Conquered by England centuries ago, the Irish were forbidden to speak their own language and many feared that their stories and history would be lost. The Irish turned to music as an outlet for commemorating special events and memories.History.com: Symbols and Traditions

  While many may believe the traditional St. Patty's Day dish of corned beef and cabbage came straight out of Ireland, the original dish was prepared with Irish bacon. Irish Bacon was too costly in the United States, so the Jews introduced the Irish to corned beef.History.com: Symbols and Traditions

  For more than forty-five years, the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers have used a natural vegetable dye to turn the Chicago River green for two weeks. The traditions was born when plumbers discovered that the dye they used to detect sewage leaks into the river turned a bright shade of Irish green.Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade: Dyeing the River

• St. Patrick's Day Questions

  • When is Saint Patrick's Day?
  • What are some good St. Patrick's Day recipes?
  • How do you make green beer and is it safe to drink?
  • Who was St. Patrick?

• Related Mahalo Pages

  St. Patrick's Day Recipes | Saint Patrick's Day Activities and Crafts | Saint Patrick's Day Lesson Plans | Saint Patrick's Day Worksheets | St. Patrick's Day Word Search | Saint Patrick's Day Coloring Pages | Irish Music

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