St. Patrick’s Day - a world wide celebration of all things Irish. People from Dublin, to New York, Sydney to Beijing take the day off work (in Ireland it’s a complete holiday) and celebrate all the great thing about being Irish.
Everyone dons green and gold and wears a shamrock on some part of their body symbolizing their Irishness.
Religious people go to mass on St. Patrick’s Day to pray to God and thank him for their patron saint. It is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
Aside from the huge celebrations that take place in Ireland each year, the rest of the world does their part to celebrate the Irish day.
U.S. cities with large Irish populations, such as New York, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago, go big with their celebrations.
They host huge parades (NY being the largest in the world), color things green (Chicago dyes the river green) eat corned beef and cabbage and drink Guinness.
Traditional Irish music and dance can be found on every street corner or in every Irish bar and plenty of actives are made available for the kids.
The feast day was penciled into the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church because of the influence of Waterford-born Franciscan scholar, Luck Wadding in the early 17th century.
St. Patrick’s Day usually falls during the Lent calender, and if it falls on a Lenten Friday, the obligation to abstain from eating meat does not have to be adhered to.
When March 17 falls during Holy Week, the actual celebration date can be moved. In 1940 St. Patrick's Day was observed on April 3in to avoid clashing with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, when it was observed on 15 March.
St. Patrick's Day will not fall within Holy Week again until 2160 - when it will fall on the Monday before Easter
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.celticguy22 | Mar 12, 2013, 03:07 PM EDT
I hate it when people refer to St. Patrick's Day as "St. Patty's Day!" They think that St. Patrick is a lady! I'm very offended by that.
Tschetter | Mar 14, 2010, 03:17 PM EDT
I have an niece Patty (Patricia ) and a brother Paddy (Patrick) I hate it when St. Patrick's day is called St. Patty's Day . Wasn't St. Patrick male? has that changed too!
Goosey68 | Feb 28, 2010, 11:32 PM EST
St. Patty ...who is that? It's St. Patrick and yes I know there is no D in Patrick. That's because it's taken from the Irish (Gaelic) spelling: Padraig ...Patrick is normally shortened to Pat or Paddy and NEVER Patty. That's Marge Simpsons sister! Let me put in perspective. If a whole nation was publishing t-shirts and or merchandise and referring to Independence day as the 3rd Of July ...would you step up and say ...STOP! That's wrong? Cheers, Feardorcha O'Duinn
ganjadec | Feb 28, 2010, 10:34 AM EST
Rather St. Paddy than St. Patty. Patty is, as we all know, short for Patricia. Or a Jamaican spicy bread and meat dish. Delicious.
knockatee | Feb 28, 2010, 09:32 AM EST
I'm deeply offended that you would have a story with the words "St. Patty's Day" in it. It galls me when the t.v. people refer to it as "St. Paddy's Day." Is it so difficult to call it by its full name?
Watereskhill | Feb 25, 2010, 12:13 AM EST
It is a day of celebrating LIFE as is. Not a Thesaurus, Spelling Bee, Gender assignment en route in error or indeed Pilgrimage. Chill out for chrissake. Patrick himself joins in. More the drink specials. More the river dyed green. Mores the merry. Sorry to upset the Pagans here but in truth he murdered no-one. The snakes he banished from Ireland joined The British Army.
Sheilah | Feb 24, 2010, 03:28 PM EST
St Patrick had people killed for not converting to Christianity? Can you validate your information on that?
Dublingirl | Feb 24, 2010, 03:15 PM EST
It's St. Patrick's Day ......NOT St. Patty's Day, unless you're referring to St. Patricia's or a hamburger!!
jacersisityourself | Feb 24, 2010, 02:05 PM EST
It’s neither Patti’s Day nor Paddy’s Day – both offensive terms to us in Ireland. It’s St. PATRICK’s Day. And while we celebrate our Irishness on that day at home and abroad and enjoy the festivities, we Irish really celebrate it as the Feast of St. Patrick in thanks to God for Patrick's help in bringing Christ’s Good News to Ireland. The hymn ‘Dochas Linn Naomh Padraig’ is sung fervently at all the Masses in all the parishes by all the people throughout Ireland on that morning. Then we go and hit the town and drown the Shamrock! BTW, I remember as a small child giving up sugar in my cupain te for Lent – I used to take 4 spoonfuls. I couldn’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day to have sugar again (no matter what day it fell on, you were excused the Lenten fast back then) and eagerly slurped the freshly poured tea – scalding my mouth. Since then and to this day, I drink my tea and coffee tepid.
killowen | Feb 24, 2010, 01:30 PM EST
Patty Page's Day and St Patrick's Day probably falls on the same day. The Dummy's Guide is just that - for a....
cmp3468 | Feb 24, 2010, 11:52 AM EST
I agree with the posts below - it irks me when people say Patty and not Paddy. Also, I don't think it's true that "if it falls on a Lenten Friday, the obligation to abstain from eating meat does not have to be adhered to." This would be on a case-by-case basis and a priest must give a special dispensation. For example, I remember going to a dinner dance at the KofC and a local priest gave everyone a dispensation before the meal was served.
Maireadsully | Feb 24, 2010, 10:10 AM EST
Most irish get disgusted this time of year when some eejit advertises that they will be having drink specials on St. Patty's Day! I never expected to see such a mistake on a site dedicated to all things Irish. I admit that it means that I have lost some respect for this site and will no longer take it as seriously as I onced did. WHAT AN ERRO!!
irishwxman | Feb 24, 2010, 09:57 AM EST
Who is the nimrod who headlined this article and called it St. "Patty's" Day? Any true Irishman knows that it is PADDY'S not Patty's. Patty is a woman's name.
ganjadec | Feb 24, 2010, 09:37 AM EST
It's St.PaDDy's Day for Christ's sake. How hard is it it understand?
ColleenUSA | Feb 23, 2010, 04:28 PM EST
Dear Americans, please stop saying St.Patty/Patti. It's PADDY for short
kickstar | Feb 23, 2010, 10:52 AM EST
I have known some illiterate people in my time even people who could not read or write, And that was because a lot of them were hired out as servant boys to farmers doing a mans work when the rest of their buddies were in class getting what passed for an education back then, But in all of my travels and life I have never heard of our Patron Saint referred to as "Saint Patti" In the name of God will you immediately desist from using this term it is absolutely Childish and illiterate.