St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
When is St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland?
St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is on March 17, 2025. It falls on Monday.
How many days until St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland?
There are 114 Days left until St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.
Is St. Patrick’s Day a public holiday in Ireland?
Saint Patrick’s Day, also called as Feast of Saint Patrick and typically known as Lá Fhéile Pádraig in the Irish language, is an annual observance held every 17th day of March. It is a religious Christian holiday which commemorates the arrival of Christianity in the Republic of Ireland and the death of Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick was the fifth century Romano-British Christian missionary who became one of the patron saints in the country. This religious event is a public holiday in Ireland where educational institutions are closed. Almost all businesses, organizations, and establishments observe unusual schedules and usually, workers would have a day off for the holiday. If the holiday falls on a weekend, the following working day, which is on Monday, would be taken as the public holiday. Even with the observance of substitute day, festivities are still celebrated during the actual day.
St. Patrick's Day Origin
Saint Patrick was born in Great Britain on 387 AD and came from a family of priests who believe in Christianity. He was sixteen when he got kidnapped by Irish men and made him a slave. He does not know what to do but to pray and believe in God. Ireland believed another religion back then and Patrick was the only Christian in the country. Patrick lived in Ireland for six years and was able to escape from his captors. He was reunited with his family and decided to become a priest. He studied hard until he became a bishop. Patrick thought about the beliefs of Irish people. He decided to come back and tell people about God. Because of him, people knew God and believed in Him.
Why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated on March 17th?
The holiday marked the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, owing Saint Patrick for everything. He died on March 17, 461 AD at Saul, United Kingdom. This is the reason why the holiday is observed every 17th of March, to commemorate both the arrival of the Christian religion in Ireland and to honor his death as well. Saint Patrick’s Day has started to be celebrated on the ninth or tenth century. Since then, celebrations are starting to flourish for the following years. St. Patrick’s Day was designated to become an official public holiday in Ireland on year 1903, through the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903. The day has been officially celebrated as a national holiday in the country since then up until the present times.
St. Patrick's Day Activities and Traditions in Ireland
Wearing Something Green
Irish people would wear something green. It is already a tradition in Ireland to wear green hats, shirts, accessories, or anything green for they believe it would make them invisible for leprechauns, creatures who would pinch someone if seen not wearing green. Because of this, Irish people would traditionally pinch anyone who are not wearing green, which symbolize the life of leprechauns. People would also have a shamrock temporary tattoo in their cheek. Shamrocks or three-leaf clover are used before by Patrick to help people understand God.
St. Patrick's Day Parades
The Irish people would be attending the parade and are gathered early before 9 am. Cities and towns in Ireland would celebrate the holiday with parades. There are approximately five hundred thousand Irish people who would participate on these parades. The biggest parade would be held in Dublin (the capital and largest city in Ireland). People would have fun watching the parade and be amazed by how it goes. Cabs and some pubs would take cash as payments. Some people would make sure to withdraw cash from their ATM before the holiday is observed. They do this because the line in the ATM during the holiday would be quite long. The people would likely enjoy the holiday considering the various celebrations organized in the different cities across the country. Many visitors from foreign countries are also expected to come in Ireland to have an experience of how St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by the Irish people.
Visiting Skerries, the Old Home of Saint Patrick
With the observance of the holiday, some people would visit the old home of Saint Patrick in the country. It is located in Skerries, a small island where he spent his time in Ireland. People would also drink green beer as part of the celebration.
Green Drinks and Foods
Though only few pubs serve this type of beers, some people would really find pubs which offer green beers since it has become a tradition in the country to drink green beer during the holiday. Guinness drinking is also a major part for the holiday. Drinking has become one of the ways to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day and people would definitely enjoy drinking in a pub.
In addition, Irish people are also seen eating and drinking green dishes and beverages during the holiday. Some green foods and drinks that Irish people take for Saint Patrick’s Day include Green Irish Soda Bread, Irish Creamed Kale, Naturally Green Shamrock Shake, Naturally Green-Tinted Beer, Green Eggs, and others.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | March 17 | Monday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| 2026 | March 17 | Tuesday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| 2027 | March 17 | Wednesday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| 2028 | March 17 | Friday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| 2029 | March 17 | Saturday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| 2030 | March 17 | Sunday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2024 |
| St. Stephen's Day | December 26, 2024 |
| Christmas Bank Holiday | December 27, 2024 |
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