The 17th
of March - Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast
of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17
March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the 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 Lutheran Church. The day
commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity
in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in
general. 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, which has encouraged
and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.
Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of
Ireland, Northern Ireland, the
Canadian province of Newfoundland
and Labrador, and the British Overseas
Territory of Montserrat. It is also
widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. 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. In recent years, there has
been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too
commercialized and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish.
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