A little reason to celebrate
St. Patrick's Day
Fun · Religious · March 17
St. Patrick's Day honors Ireland's patron saint with church services, parades, green clothing, shamrocks and Irish music, food and dance.
St. Patrick's Day falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2027. That is 141 days away.
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, a missionary remembered for bringing Christianity to the island. His feast day is marked in many countries, and in the United States it has grown into one of the most visible days of the year, with green showing up on sweaters, storefronts and the occasional river.
For many Catholics and other Christians it remains a feast day, observed with a church service. For many more people it is a celebration of Irish heritage and culture. Cities hold parades with marching bands, bagpipers, dancers and local groups. Pubs fill with fiddles and tin whistles. Neighbors who have never set foot in Dublin wear a shamrock pin.
The shamrock is the day's best-known symbol. Tradition holds that Patrick used the three-leaf plant to explain the Christian idea of the Trinity. Wearing green ties in with the shamrock and with Ireland's nickname, the Emerald Isle.
Food plays a part too. In the United States, corned beef and cabbage is the classic plate, alongside soda bread, which rises with baking soda and buttermilk instead of yeast. Others make Irish stew, colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale) or a pan of brown bread.
Irish dance is another way people take part. Step dancers keep the upper body still while the feet do quick, precise work, and a good troupe at a parade can stop a crowd in its tracks.
Ways to celebrate
- Wear something green or pin a shamrock to your coat.
- Bake a loaf of Irish soda bread at home.
- Watch a local parade or an Irish dance performance.
- Listen to traditional Irish music with fiddle and tin whistle.
- Look up your family's Irish roots, if you have any.
Things for the day
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Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, March 17 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, March 17 |
| 2028 | Friday, March 17 |
| 2029 | Saturday, March 17 |
| 2030 | Sunday, March 17 |
Also on March 17
Categories: Fun daysReligious days