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St. Patrick's Day, celebrated annually on March 17, honours Ireland's patron saint. It has evolved into a global festival with parades, Irish food, and cultural events symbolizing Irish heritage and resilience.
UPDATED: Mar 17, 2025 20:36 IST
St. Patrick's Day is an annual Irish festival celebrated on March 17 in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, who played a crucial role in spreading Christianity in Ireland. Over time, the festival has grown into a celebration of Irish heritage, featuring parades, festivals, and special events worldwide.
Who Was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary of Roman-British origin who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. Historical accounts suggest that he was kidnapped as a child and brought to Ireland as a slave. After gaining his freedom, he became a priest and later returned to Ireland to spread Christianity.
Legend has it that St Patrick died on March 17. In his memory, people in Ireland started celebrating a feast day as early as the 9th or 10th century to commemorate his legacy.
How is St Patrick's Day Celebrated?
The festival has a green theme, which represents Ireland's landscape and culture. People dress in green attire, decorate their homes with green, and prepare traditional Irish dishes using green vegetables such as cabbage. Shamrocks, a three-leaf clover, associated with St. Patrick, are worn as a tribute to Irish culture.
Food and Festivities
Traditional Irish foods such as Irish stew, soda bread, and apple pie are consumed during the celebrations. Meat and cabbage meals are also popular, usually served with beer. The festival is celebrated in Ireland and Northern Ireland with elaborate parades and cultural festivals. Dublin's annual parade alone draws more than one million spectators.
St Patrick's Day Around the World
The festival is widely celebrated even beyond Ireland. In the United States, the first St Patrick’s Day event dates back to the 1600s, with grand parades gaining popularity in the 19th century. New York City’s parade, started in 1762, is one of the largest in the world, drawing nearly two million people every year. In Great Britain, St Patrick's Day sees the third-largest parade in the world, second only to those in Dublin and New York, reinforcing the festival as a world celebration of Irish heritage.
Published By:
Rivanshi Rakhrai
Published On:
Mar 17, 2025
