St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on the 17th of March each year. It is named after Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

History

St. Patrick's Day was made an official 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.

Celebrations

Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services, and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day. This has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

St. Patrick

Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Much of what is known about Saint Patrick comes from the Confessio, a book he wrote during his last years. According to the Confessio, at the age of 16, he was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family.

Symbolism

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 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 beer are popular on St. Patrick's Day.

See also

• History of Ireland
• Culture of Ireland
• Irish diaspora