How Many Days Until St. Patrick's Day?

St. Patricks Day is on March 17, and it has grown from a quiet Irish religious observance into one of the biggest party holidays in the world. The day honors Saint Patrick, who was actually born in Roman Britain around 387 AD and was kidnapped by Irish raiders at age 16. He spent six years as a slave in Ireland before escaping, becoming a priest, and returning to convert the population to Christianity.

The shamrock became associated with St. Patrick because he reportedly used the three-leafed plant to explain the Holy Trinity. Green was not always the holidays color, originally it was associated with blue (called "St. Patricks Blue"), but green took over because of the shamrock and Irelands nickname, the Emerald Isle.

☘️ St. Patricks Day Traditions

🌍 Where Was the First St. Patricks Day Parade?

Not in Ireland. The first parade was held in New York City in 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the British army. Today the NYC parade is still the largest in the world, with over 150,000 marchers. In Ireland the day is actually more subdued than youd expect. Pubs were legally required to close on March 17 until 1970 because it was a religious holiday.

💚 Why Does Chicago Dye Its River Green?

The tradition started in 1962 when a plumber noticed that the dye he used to detect sewage leaks turned the water green. They switched to a vegetable-based dye and made it official. The effect lasts about five hours.

📊 St. Patricks Day by the Numbers

About 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patricks Day worldwide, compared to the daily average of 5.5 million. Americans spend roughly $6.9 billion on the holiday.

🥩 Why Do Americans Eat Corned Beef on St. Patricks Day?

In Ireland, the traditional dish is actually bacon and cabbage, not corned beef. Corned beef became popular because Irish immigrants in New York bought it from their Jewish neighbors, who sold it cheaply. About 33 million Americans claim Irish heritage, which is roughly seven times the actual population of Ireland.

☘️ Saint Patrick Was Not Irish

The patron saint of Ireland was born in Roman Britain (probably Wales or Scotland) around 387 AD. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders at age 16 and enslaved for six years before escaping. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary. He also never drove snakes out of Ireland, there were never any snakes there (Ireland was separated from mainland Europe before snakes could colonize it after the last Ice Age).