St Patrick’s Day 2024? Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Date: Sunday, 17 March 2024 Trending Significance: Feast day of Saint Patrick, commemoration of the arrival of Christianity in Ireland Type: National day, Public holiday, Bank holiday We know it as an excuse to attend a parade, visit an Irish pub, drink a Guinness, buy festive food or maybe even dye a well-known river green. While not a federal holiday in the U.S., St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration for Irish and non-Irish Americans alike. It is, however, a national holiday in Ireland, and its festivals and events traditionally kick off tourist season. Until about 40 years ago, St. Paddy’s Day celebrations were solemn and religious. Bars even remained closed. It was the American celebration that created the St. Patrick’s Day we know today. When is St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, falls on March 17 every year. In 2024, March 17 is a Sunday. Who was Saint Patrick? Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish – he was born in Britain near the end of the fourth century and was taken prisoner by Irish raiders when he was 16. He spent six years in captivity in Ireland, according to the History Channel, where he eventually became a devout Christian. According to Patrick’s writing, he believed God’s voice spoke to him in a dream and told him to leave Ireland – and he escaped. Later in another dream, he wrote an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary, and he became a priest after 15 years of study. While many believe St. Patrick was responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland, the History Channel reports his mission was to minister to existing Irish Christians as well as convert non-Christians. He became a significant figure in Ireland in part because he chose to incorporate traditional Irish culture and ritual into his practice, like merging the sun (an existing Irish symbol) with the traditional cross to create the famed Celtic cross. Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Ireland and neighbors across the pond have been commemorating Saint Patrick since the ninth or 10th century, according to the History Channel. St. Patrick was never canonized by the Catholic Church but has enjoyed longstanding historical popularity. Saint Patrick died on March 17, 461, which later became the day we celebrate him and the Irish. America’s first St. Patrick’s Day celebration was in 1600 in the Spanish colony of present-day St. Augustine, Florida. Spanish colonial records mentioned a celebration for Saint Patrick in 1600 and the first known St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601. The tale of Saint Patrick likely traveled from Ireland to the Americas in the 16th century by way of Richard Arthur, a priest in St. Augustine and an Irish soldier, The Washington Post reported. Records of St. Patrick celebrations died with Arthur, but additional records show Irish soldiers in the English military marched in celebration of Saint Patrick in Boston in 1737 and New York City in 1762. Decades of growing Irish patriotism resulted in Irish Aid societies and annual parades of bagpipes and drums. They united to form one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1848, according to the History Channel. While rowdy celebrations occurred in the U.S., Irish laws mandated pubs be closed on St. Patrick’s Day until the 1970s. In 1995 the Irish government began campaigning for bigger March 17 celebrations to drive tourism. Patrick’s legacy continued in the U.S., particularly in areas with large groups of Irish immigrants. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is one of the most recognizable churches in the country and was “created to affirm the ascendance of religious freedom and tolerance,” according to the Cathedral’s site. Why leprechauns and shamrocks? St. Patrick’s Day celebrations explained Just Curious for more? We’ve got you covered is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From “How many federal holidays are there?” to “Why is my cat staring at me?” to “What is the Nobel prize?” – we’re striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.