March 17 is Saint Patrick's Day, and on that day, many people around the world will be celebrating Irish culture and the life of Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick's Day is an official holiday in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland. Many people in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries also celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.
The Catholic Church particularly honors Saint Patrick for bringing Christianity to Ireland. Saint Patrick was born in the year 385 and died in 461. Saint Patrick's Day takes place on the anniversary of his death, and the holiday has been celebrated for over 1,000 years. Saint Patrick's Day is also a holiday in several other Christian churches.
Saint Patrick's Day was first celebrated in Ireland, but today it is celebrated all over the world, wherever Irish people live. Today, it is not only a Catholic holiday, but also a day to celebrate Irish culture.
In the United States, Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated much more generally by many people. Not only do Catholics and Irish people celebrate this holiday, but non-Catholics and other Americans also join in the fun, too.
On Saint Patrick's Day, people traditionally wear green, which represents Ireland and Irish culture. Many people also celebrate by going to Saint Patrick's Day parties. Some Catholic families attend church.
In my family, we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day by eating a traditional Irish-American meal of corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage. Saint Patrick's Day is particularly important in my family, not only because we are Irish, but also because my parents first met on Saint Patrick's Day.
Many cities hold Saint Patrick's Day parades and Irish-themed festivals. The largest celebration in the United States is in Boston, which has a large Irish-American population. The city of Chicago is famous for dyeing the Chicago River bright green on Saint Patrick's Day.
Though Saint Patrick's Day was originally a holiday celebrated only by Irish people and Catholics, the holiday has become very popular around the world. And as the saying goes, “Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day.”