America Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

March 16th, 2017 | American Holidays

Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a Christian holiday that originated in Ireland. It is celebrated on March 17th, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, for whom the holiday is named. Saint Patrick is the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

The holiday celebrates the arrival of Christianity to Ireland, thanks to the efforts of a priest from Roman controlled Britain. That priest was Patrick, who would later be made a saint by the regional churches and not the Pope. St. Patrick’s Day became an official Catholic feast in the early 17th century, and was spread to the United States by Irish immigrants in the 19th century.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in modern times with parades, festivals, and by wearing green attire or shamrocks. The color green is worn because that is the traditional color of Ireland, and shamrocks were reportedly used to show the pagan Irish the Holy Trinity of Catholicism.