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Saint Patrick's Day
A stained glass window depicts Saint Patrick dressed in a green robe with a halo about his head, holding a sham rock in his right hand and a staff in his left.
Saint Patrick depicted in a stained-glass window at Saint Benin's Church, Ireland
Official nameSaint Patrick's Day
Also called
  • Feast of Saint Patrick
  • Lá Fhéile Pádraig
  • Patrick's Day
  • (St) Paddy's Day
  • (St) Patty's Day (chiefly North America)
Observed by
  • Irish people and people of Irish descent
  • Catholic Church (see calendar)
  • Anglican Communion (see calendars)
  • Eastern Orthodox Church (see calendar)
  • Lutheran Church (see calendar)
TypeEthnic, national, Christian
SignificanceFeast day of Saint Patrick,

commemoration of the arrival of Christianity in Ireland
Celebrations
  • Attending parades and a céilí
  • Wearing green and shamrocks
  • Drinking Irish beer and Irish whiskey
ObservancesChristian processions; attending Mass or service
Date17 March
Next time17 March 2025 (2025-03-17)
FrequencyAnnual
Page ID
170023
Page Name
Saint_Patrick's_Day
Text

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit. 'the Day of the Festival of Patrick'), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services and historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of mass alcohol consumption.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, United States, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, especially amongst Irish diaspora. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. However, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish people.