The significance of March 17th is that it’s said to be the date of St. Patrick’s death in the late 5th century (circa A.D. 493). St. Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland, who is credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish people.
March 17th was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.
March 17th falls during the Christian season of Lent, which is a period of fasting and penance before Easter. On St. Patrick’s Day, the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday’s tradition of alcohol consumption. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services on March 17th.
There is no conclusive evidence that March 17th had any special meaning in pre-Christian Ireland. However, some scholars have suggested that the date may have coincided with a pagan festival of spring or the vernal equinox, which marks the beginning of the astronomical spring. Some also speculate that the shamrock, a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day, may have been a sacred plant in ancient Celtic religion.
According to legend, St. Patrick arrived in Ireland in 432 CE and began his mission of converting the Irish to Christianity. He used the shamrock, a three-leafed clover, to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to the pagan Irish. He also reportedly banished all the snakes from Ireland, although this is likely a metaphor for his eradication of pagan beliefs. He established churches, monasteries, and schools throughout the country and baptized thousands of people. He died on March 17th, 461 CE, and was buried at Downpatrick, County Down.
Some notable historical events happened on March 17th, but they are not directly related to Saint Patrick’s Day. For example, on March 17th, 1762, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City, organized by Irish soldiers serving in the British army. On March 17th, 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the Italian states under King Victor Emmanuel II. On March 17th, 1958, the United States launched Vanguard, the first solar-powered satellite2. On March 17th, 2011, the United Nations Security Council authorized a no-fly zone over Libya, leading to the NATO intervention in the Libyan Civil War.
Saint Patrick’s Day is fixed on the calendar as March 17th, but it may be moved by the church authorities for liturgical reasons. For example, if March 17th falls on a Sunday or during Holy Week, the feast day may be transferred to another date to avoid conflict with the more important celebrations of the Christian calendar. However, this does not affect the secular observance of the holiday, which remains on March 17th.
There are some regional variations in celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day, depending on the local customs and traditions. For example, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Saint Patrick’s Day is a provincial holiday and is observed on the Monday closest to March 17th. In Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday and also commemorates a failed slave uprising in 1768. In Argentina, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the weekend closest to March 17th, with street parties and live music in Buenos Aires. In Japan, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades and festivals in several cities, such as Tokyo, Yokohama, and Nagoya.
There is no direct connection between March 17th and the spring equinox, which is the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The date of the spring equinox varies from year to year, but it usually occurs around March 20th or 21st. However, some ancient cultures may have celebrated the equinox as a time of renewal and fertility, and some modern pagans still observe it as a sacred festival. Some astronomical events may coincide with March 17th, such as the full moon, solar or lunar eclipses, or meteor showers, but these are not related to Saint Patrick’s Day.
The significance of March 17th has changed over the centuries, as Saint Patrick’s Day evolved from a religious feast day to a cultural celebration of Irish identity and heritage. In the early centuries of Christianity, March 17th was a solemn occasion to honor the patron saint of Ireland and his contribution to the spread of the faith. In the Middle Ages, March 17th was a day of pilgrimage and prayer, and people wore crosses or badges of St. Patrick on their clothes. In the 17th century, March 17th became an official feast day of the Catholic Church, and Irish people celebrated it with feasting and drinking. In the 18th and 19th centuries, March 17th became a symbol of Irish nationalism and resistance to British rule, and Irish immigrants in America and elsewhere organized parades and demonstrations to express their solidarity and pride. In the 20th and 21st centuries, March 17th became a global phenomenon, as people of various backgrounds and ethnicities joined in the festivities and embraced the Irish culture and traditions. Today, March 17th is a day of fun and joy, as people wear green, decorate with shamrocks, listen to Irish music, watch or participate in parades, and enjoy Irish food and drinks.
There are some superstitions or folklore associated with the date March 17th, mostly derived from the legends and myths of St. Patrick and the Irish culture. For example, some people believe that wearing green on March 17th will bring good luck, or that not wearing green will invite pinching or bad luck. Some people also believe that finding a four-leaf clover on March 17th will grant them a wish, or that seeing a rainbow on March 17th will lead them to a pot of gold. Some people also associate March 17th with leprechauns, the mischievous fairy folk of Irish folklore, who are said to hide their gold at the end of rainbows and grant three wishes to anyone who can catch them.
Apart from Saint Patrick’s Day, there are some other cultures or traditions that celebrate something significant on March 17th. For example, March 17th is also World Sleep Day, an annual event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of good sleep and promote healthy sleeping habits. March 17th is also Evacuation Day in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, a local holiday that commemorates the departure of British troops from Boston in 1776, after a long siege by the American forces. March 17th is also Submarine Day in the United States, a day to honor the history and achievements of submarines and submariners. March 17th is also the birthday of some famous people, such as the physicist Albert Einstein, the singer-songwriter John Sebastian, and the actor Rob Lowe.
March 17th has been the chosen date for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations since around the 9th or 10th century, when people in Ireland began to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick on March 17th. However, the date may have been influenced by the Julian calendar, which was used in Europe until the 16th century, and which had a different calculation of the spring equinox than the modern Gregorian calendar. Therefore, March 17th in the Julian calendar may have corresponded to a different date in the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted by the Catholic Church in 1582. Some Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar to determine their liturgical dates, which means that they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on a different date than the Western churches. For example, in 2024, the Eastern Orthodox churches will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 30th, according to the Gregorian calendar.
Modern celebrations on March 17th honor the historical and cultural aspects of Saint Patrick’s Day by incorporating elements of Irish music, dance, language, cuisine, and symbols. For example, many people wear green, the color associated with Ireland and St. Patrick, or display shamrocks, the national emblem of Ireland and a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Many people also listen to Irish folk songs, watch or perform Irish dances, such as the jig or the reel, learn some Irish words or phrases, or enjoy Irish dishes, such as Irish stew, soda bread, or corned beef and cabbage. Some people also attend Mass or service to commemorate the religious significance of the day or visit places of historical or cultural importance, such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York or Dublin, or the Hill of Tara in County Meath, where St. Patrick is said to have lit a Paschal fire.
March 17th is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. In these places, schools, banks, government offices, and some businesses are closed, and public transport may operate on a reduced schedule. In other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand, March 17th is not a public holiday, but it is widely celebrated by the general public and the Irish diaspora. In some places, such as Chicago, Boston, or Sydney, the celebrations are so large and popular that they may affect the normal functioning of the city, such as traffic, parking, or security.
Different regions or communities may have their interpretations of the significance of March 17th, depending on their historical, political, or cultural context. For example, in Montserrat, March 17th is also known as “National Day”, as it marks the anniversary of a failed slave uprising in 1768, led by an Irishman named John Cuffey. The island, which has a large population of Irish descent, celebrates its dual heritage of African and Irish cultures on March 17th. In Northern Ireland, March 17th may have a different meaning for the Protestant and Catholic communities, as the former may associate it with British rule and the latter with Irish nationalism. Some Protestants may prefer to celebrate “Orange Day” on July 12th, the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, where the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II in 1690. Some Catholics may also celebrate “St. Brigid’s Day” on February 1st, the feast day of another patron saint of Ireland, who represents the pre-Christian Celtic goddess of the same name.
