A Republican congressman has introduced a bill to make St. Patrick's Day a federal holiday in the US.
Pennsylvania Republican Bill Fitzpatrick announced on Twitter that he was launching the St. Patrick's Day Act, which would make March 17 a federal holiday in the United States.
"Headed to the House floor to introduce the St. Patrick’s Day Act, to make St. Patrick’s Day a federal holiday," Fitzpatrick wrote on Twitter on St. Patrick's Day in a tweet accompanied by two shamrock emojis.
Headed to the House floor to introduce the St. Patrick’s Day Act, to make St. Patrick’s Day a federal holiday. ☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/qDe2oo7Pye
— Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick 🇺🇸 (@RepBrianFitz) March 17, 2023
In a statement, Congressman Fitzpatrick “St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the rich history and fighting spirit of the Irish people – including nearly 2 million in Pennsylvania – and the countless contributions that generations of Irish Americans have made to our nation."
He added, “As a descendant of Irish immigrants and a friend of Ireland, I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to properly recognize St. Patrick’s Day as a federal holiday."
March 17 is Ireland's national holiday, but St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with equal vigor in the US, with parades and festivals taking place across the country.
The New York St. Patrick's Day Parade is the largest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the world, drawing more than two million visitors each year.
US cities such as Boston, Savannah, and San Francisco are also renowned for their St. Patrick's Day parades, while Chicago famously dyes the Chicago River green to mark the occasion.
Federal holidays are days that have been recognized by the federal government as days on which federal employees are given a paid day off work. They include holidays such as New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. St. Patrick's Day is not a legal holiday in most states, which means that businesses and schools are not required to close.
Fox News reports that Fitzpatrick's bill has a good chance of making it through the House with the backing of a Republican majority in Congress.
If the legislation passes and is signed into law it would become the most recent new addition to the country’s list of federal holidays, following Juneteenth.
Would you like St. Patrick's Day to become a federal holiday in the US? Let us know in the comments!
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