St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
St. Patrick might be the patron saint of Ireland—but he didn’t always live in Ireland. Patrick was born in Britain in the fourth century and didn’t arrive in Ireland until he was 16 years old, when he was sent to work in the country.
After he arrived, Patrick became interested in Christianity and started teaching others about the religion. He is said to have converted many of the country’s residents to Christians, and now St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the day Patrick supposedly died.
Movies to Recommend
