Countdown to
St. Patrick's Day
The world wears green for Ireland
Today is St. Patrick's Day.
135 days until St. Patrick's Day, on Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
St. Patrick's Day is Wednesday, March 17, 2027. Happens every March 17.
St. Patrick’s Day lands on March 17 each year, marking the feast day of Ireland’s patron saint. What began as a solemn religious observance has grown into one of the most widely celebrated cultural holidays in the world, kept from Dublin to cities across the Irish diaspora.
The story behind Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick lived in the 5th century and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Despite becoming the island’s defining symbol, he was not Irish by birth. He was born in Roman Britain and, according to his own surviving writings, was captured by raiders as a teenager and enslaved in Ireland for six years before escaping — only to return later as a missionary. March 17 is traditionally held to be the date of his death, around 461 AD.
Much of what surrounds him is legend rather than record. The famous claim that he drove the snakes out of Ireland has no basis in fact, since the island had no native snakes to begin with. The shamrock became his emblem through the story that he used its three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity — which is why the day’s plant is a three-leaf shamrock, not a four-leaf clover.
From holy day to global celebration
For centuries, March 17 was chiefly a religious holiday in Ireland, and from 1927 until the early 1960s the law even required pubs to close for the day. The larger, festive version of St. Patrick’s Day owes much to the Irish diaspora, especially in North America, where immigrant communities staged parades as public expressions of identity and belonging. New York City’s parade, first recorded in 1762, is among the oldest and largest civilian parades in the world.
Today the day is marked with parades, green attire, Irish music and food, and the pinning of a shamrock. Some cities go further: Chicago has dyed its river green for its parade nearly every year since 1962, and landmarks around the globe are floodlit green each March as part of a tourism campaign. In Ireland itself, the occasion has expanded into a multi-day festival centered on Dublin, blending the sacred roots of the feast with a broad, secular celebration of Irish culture that reaches well beyond anyone with Irish ancestry.
☘️ Fun facts about St. Patrick's Day
- Saint Patrick wasn't Irish — he was born in Roman Britain and first came to Ireland as an enslaved teenager, around age 16.
- Blue, not green, was the color first associated with Saint Patrick; green rose to prominence later through the shamrock and Irish nationalism.
- For decades Irish law required pubs to close on March 17, treating it strictly as a religious holy day — a 1927 ban on selling alcohol that day wasn't lifted until the early 1960s.
- Chicago has dyed its river green for its St. Patrick's Day parade nearly every year since 1962; the dyeing usually happens on the Saturday before March 17.
- Corned beef and cabbage is largely an Irish-American creation; the older dish in Ireland is bacon and cabbage.
Upcoming St. Patrick's Day dates
| Date | Days away |
|---|---|
| 135 days | |
| 501 days | |
| 866 days | |
| 1,231 days | |
| 1,596 days |
How people mark St. Patrick's Day
- Wearing green
- Watching or joining parades
- Pinning on a shamrock
- Irish music and dancing
- Bacon and cabbage or corned beef dinners
- Lighting landmarks green
Frequently asked
What day is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's Day falls on March 17 every year — the traditional date of Saint Patrick's death, around 461 AD. Unlike Easter, the date never moves.
Why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated?
It marks the feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who is credited with spreading Christianity across the island in the 5th century.
Why do people wear green?
Green ties to Ireland's "Emerald Isle" nickname, the shamrock, and Irish nationalism. Folk tradition also holds that wearing green makes you invisible to pinching leprechauns.
Is St. Patrick's Day a public holiday?
It is a national public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In most other countries, including the United States, it is widely celebrated but not an official day off.