St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish religious holiday commemorating the death of St. Patrick. Saint Patrick is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland and explaining the Holy Trinity by using the Irish clover, which is why the shamrock is one of the most popular images used to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day. Because shamrocks are green, the color is widely associated with the holiday as well. Though St. Patrick’s Day is technically a Christian holiday, people celebrate it secularly with parades and celtic Irish imagery like shamrocks and leprechauns.
When is St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day is always on March 17. Since the holiday has a set date, this means that the holiday falls on different days of the week every year. St. Patrick’s Day 2021 is on Wednesday, Match 17, while St. Patrick’s Day 2022 will be on Thursday, March 17.
St. Patrick’s Day History
St. Patrick’s Day started being widely celebrated in the U.S. when immigrants started bringing Irish culture as they traveled and moved. Some of the oldest Irish American St. Patrick’s Day celebrations date back to the early 1800s. Today, we celebrate St. Patrick’s day because of the large numbers of Irish immigrants who brought their culture and history to America.
St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
St. Patrick’s Day religious traditions include going to church in the morning. Though St. Patrick’s Day is during Lent, the holiday is a special time to waive restrictions on eating meat so that people can celebrate with friends and family. For traditional celebrations, it’s typically a feast day where people come together to cook and share a big dinner that might include traditional Irish meals like corned beef cabbage.
Outside of the religious St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, many cities hold family-friendly parades that might include green-themed floats. One of the most popular St. Patrick’s Day traditions is to wear green all day. Folklore says that leprechauns pinch anyone they can see, but green makes you invisible to them. Therefore, anyone who isn’t wearing green gets pinched – though it’s usually from their friends instead of leprechauns.
How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Other than wearing green all day or attending a celebration, there’s plenty you can do to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the kids. Try some St. Patrick’s Day crafts like coloring pages that can also teach kids about St. Patrick’s history. Your kids can create a lot of different crafts with personalized art kits, and you can hang up the finished product as St. Patrick’s Day decor to make your home look more fun and festive. Another idea for St. Patrick’s Day decorations might include custom banners, which are especially great if you’re having a party.
If you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day away from family and friends, consider sending St. Patrick’s Day cards to wish them a happy holiday. Your Happy St. Patrick’s Day card can include St. Patrick’s Day sayings as well as photos to give everyone a quick update on what you’ve been up to so far in spring.
