Saint Patrick's Day: Difference between revisions

Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
	St. Patrick depicted in a stained glass window at St. Benin's Church, Ireland
Also called	Feast of Saint Patrick; Patrick's Day; Paddy's Day; Saint Paddy's Day; (St) Patty's Day
Observed by	Irish people and people of Irish descent,; Catholic Church (see calendar), Anglican Communion (see calendars), Eastern Orthodox Church (see calendar), Lutheran Church (see calendar)
Type	Christian, national, ethnic
Significance	Feast day of Saint Patrick, commemoration of the arrival of Christianity in Ireland
Celebrations	Attending parades, attending céilithe, wearing shamrocks, wearing green, drinking Irish beer, drinking Irish whiskey
Observances	Attending mass or service
Date	17 March

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Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick") is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.^[1] It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland),^[2] the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a celebration of Irish culture in general.^[3]

The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services,^[3]^[4] wearing of green attire,^[5] public parades and processions, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking alcohol,^[5]^[6]^[7] which is often proscribed during the rest of the season.^[3]^[5]^[6]^[7]

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland,^[8] Northern Ireland,^[9] Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world.^[10]

Saint Patrick

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave.^[11] It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.^{[citation needed]}

In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish church.

Wearing of the green

File:Baby wearing green shirt with shamrock.jpg

On St. Patrick's Day, it is common to wear green attire, often with shamrocks on it.

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew.^[12] Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.^[13] Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.^[14]^[15] In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.^[12] The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name.

Ireland

Saint Patrick's feast day, as a kind of national day, was already being celebrated by the Irish in Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries. In later times he became more and more widely known as the patron of Ireland.^[16] Saint Patrick's feast day was finally placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church due to the influence of Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding^[17] in the early 1600s. Saint Patrick's Day thus became a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland. The church calendar avoids the observance of saints' feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint's day to a time outside those periods. Saint Patrick's Day is occasionally affected by this requirement, when 17 March falls during Holy Week. This happened in 1940, when Saint Patrick's Day was observed on 3 April in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, where it was officially observed on 14 March (15 March being used for St. Joseph, which had to be moved from 19 March), although the secular celebration still took place on 17 March. Saint Patrick's Day will not fall within Holy Week again until 2160.^[18]^[19] (In other countries, St. Patrick's feast day is also 17 March, but liturgical celebration is omitted when impeded by Sunday or by Holy Week.)

In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was thanks to the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by Irish Member of Parliament James O'Mara.^[20] O'Mara later introduced the law that required that pubs and bars be closed on 17 March after drinking got out of hand, a provision that was repealed in the 1970s. The first Saint Patrick's Day parade held in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931 and was reviewed by the then Minister of Defence Desmond Fitzgerald. Although secular celebrations now exist, the holiday remains a religious observance in Ireland, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland.

In the mid-1990s the government of the Republic of Ireland began a campaign to use Saint Patrick's Day to showcase Ireland and its culture.^[21] The government set up a group called St Patrick's Festival, with the aim to:

Traditional St Patrick's Day badges from the early 20th century, photographed at the Museum of Country Life in County Mayo

Offer a national festival that ranks amongst all of the greatest celebrations in the world and promote excitement throughout Ireland via innovation, creativity, grassroots involvement, and marketing activity.

Provide the opportunity and motivation for people of Irish descent, (and those who sometimes wish they were Irish) to attend and join in the imaginative and expressive celebrations.

Project, internationally, an accurate image of Ireland as a creative, professional and sophisticated country with wide appeal.
— ^[22]

The first Saint Patrick's Festival was held on 17 March 1996. In 1997, it became a three-day event, and by 2000 it was a four-day event. By 2006, the festival was five days long; more than 675,000 people attended the 2009 parade. Overall 2009's five day festival saw close to 1 million visitors, who took part in festivities that included concerts, outdoor theatre performances, and fireworks.^[23] Skyfest forms the centrepiece of the festival.

The topic of the 2004 St. Patrick's Symposium was "Talking Irish", during which the nature of Irish identity, economic success, and the future were discussed. Since 1996, there has been a greater emphasis on celebrating and projecting a fluid and inclusive notion of "Irishness" rather than an identity based around traditional religious or ethnic allegiance. The week around Saint Patrick's Day usually involves Irish language speakers using more Irish during Seachtain na Gaeilge ("Irish Language Week").^{[citation needed]}

As well as Dublin, many other cities, towns, and villages in Ireland hold their own parades and festivals, including Cork, Belfast, Derry, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Waterford.

The biggest celebrations outside Dublin are in Downpatrick, County Down, where Saint Patrick is rumoured to be buried. In 2004, according to Down District Council, the week-long St. Patrick's Festival had more than 2,000 participants and 82 floats, bands, and performers and was watched by more than 30,000 people.^{[citation needed]}

The shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs.^[24]

Christian leaders in Ireland have expressed concern about the secularisation of St Patrick's Day. In The Word magazine's March 2007 issue, Fr. Vincent Twomey wrote, "It is time to reclaim St Patrick's Day as a church festival." He questioned the need for "mindless alcohol-fuelled revelry" and concluded that "it is time to bring the piety and the fun together."^[25]

Sports events

The Ulster Schools Cup final,^[26] Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup final and Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup finals all take place annually on St. Patrick's Day.
The All-Ireland Club Football and All-Ireland Club Hurling championships finals are held annually in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day.
The Interprovincial Championship in both Gaelic Football and Hurling were held in Croke Park from up to and including 1986 and in 1991.
The St. Patrick's Day Test is an international rugby league tournament that is played between the USA and Ireland. The competition was first started in 1995 with Ireland winning the first two tests with the USA winning the last 4 in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The game is usually held on or around 17 March to coincide with St. Patrick's Day.^[27]
Traditionally the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship are held on Saint Patrick's Day in Croke Park, Dublin. The Interprovincial Championship was previously held on 17 March but this was switched to games being played in Autumn.
The Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup, Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup and Ulster Schools Senior Cup are held on Saint Patrick's Day. The Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup is held on the weekend before Saint Patrick's Day.

United States

St. Patrick's Day, although not a legal holiday anywhere in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated throughout the country. It is primarily observed as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the colour green, feasting, copious consumption of alcohol, religious observances, and numerous parades. The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late eighteenth century, prior to the American Revolution.

Argentina

In Argentina, and especially in Buenos Aires, all-night long parties are celebrated in designated streets, since the weather is comfortably warm in March. People dance and drink only beer throughout the night, until seven or eight in the morning, and although the tradition of mocking those who do not wear green does not exist, many people wear something green. In Buenos Aires, the party is held in the downtown street of Reconquista, where there are several Irish pubs;^[28]^[29] in 2006, there were 50,000 people in this street and the pubs nearby.^[30] Neither the Catholic Church nor the Irish community, the fifth largest in the world outside Ireland,^[31] take part in the organisation of the parties.

Canada

Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in Montreal

One of the longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parades in North America occurs each year in Montreal, whose city flag includes a shamrock in its lower-right quadrant. The parades have been held continually since 1824.^[32]

In Manitoba, the Irish Association of Manitoba runs an annual three day festival of music and culture based around St. Patrick's Day.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, the CelticFest Vancouver Society organized an annual festival in downtown Vancouver to celebrate the Celtic Nations and their culture. This event, which includes a parade, occurs the weekend closest to Saint Patrick's Day.^[33]

In Quebec City, there was a parade from 1837 to 1926. The Quebec City St-Patrick Parade returned in 2010 after an absence of more than 84 years. For the occasion, a portion of the New York Police Department Pipes and Drums were present as special guests.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team was known as the Toronto St. Patricks from 1919 to 1927, and wore green jerseys. In 1999, when the Maple Leafs played on Saint Patrick's Day, they wore green St. Pat's retro uniforms. There is a large parade in the city's downtown core on the Sunday prior to March 17 which attracts over 100,000 spectators.^{[citation needed]}

Some groups, notably Guinness, have lobbied to make Saint Patrick's Day a national holiday.^[34] Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador is the only jurisdiction where Saint Patrick's Day is a provincial holiday.

In March 2009, the Calgary Tower changed its top exterior lights to new green CFL bulbs just in time for Saint Patrick's Day. Part of an environmental non-profit organization's campaign (Project Porchlight), the green represented environmental concerns. Approximately 210 lights were changed in time for Saint Patrick's Day, and resembled a Leprechaun's hat. After a week, white CFLs took their place. The change was estimated to save the Calgary Tower some $12,000 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 104 tonnes.^[35]

St. Patricks day occasionally turns violent due to the large number of intoxicated individuals celebrating in Canada. This was seen, for example, in the 2012 in London, Ontario where college students light a TV van on fire then threw bottles at firefighters (attempting to put out the fire) and police officers in the area.^[36]

Great Britain

In Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother used to present bowls of shamrock flown over from Ireland to members of the Irish Guards, a regiment in the British Army consisting primarily of soldiers from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Guards still wear shamrock on this day, flown in from Ireland.^[37]

Christian denominations in Great Britain observing his feast day include The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.^[38]

Horse racing at the Cheltenham Festival attracts large numbers of Irish people, both residents of Britain and many who travel from Ireland, and usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day.^[39]

Birmingham holds the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in Britain with a massive city centre parade^[40] over a two mile (3 km) route through the city centre. The organisers describe it as the third biggest parade in the world after Dublin and New York.^[41]

London, since 2002, has had an annual Saint Patrick's Day parade which takes place on weekends around the 17th, usually in Trafalgar Square. In 2008 the water in the Trafalgar Square fountains was dyed green.

Liverpool has the highest proportion of residents with Irish ancestry of any English city.^{[citation needed]} This has led to a long-standing celebration on St Patrick's Day in terms of music, cultural events and the parade.

Manchester hosts a two-week Irish festival in the weeks prior to St Patrick's Day. The festival includes an Irish Market based at the city's town hall which flies the Irish tricolour opposite the Union Flag, a large parade as well as a large number of cultural and learning events throughout the two-week period.^[42]

The Scottish town of Coatbridge, where the majority of the town's population are of Irish descent,^{[citation needed]} also has a St. Patrick's Day Festival which includes celebrations and parades in the town centre.^{[citation needed]}

Glasgow has a considerably large Irish population; due, for the most part, to the Irish immigration during the 19th century. This immigration was the main cause in raising the population of Glasgow by over 100,000 people.^[43] Due to this large Irish population, there is a considerable Irish presence in Glasgow with many Irish theme pubs and Irish interest groups who run annual celebrations on St Patrick's day in Glasgow. Glasgow began an annual Saint Patrick's Day parade and festival in 2007 ^{[citation needed]}

Japan

Saint Patrick's Parades are now held in nine locations across Japan.^{[citation needed]} The first parade, in Tokyo, was organised by The Irish Network Japan (INJ) in 1992. Nowadays parades and other events related to Saint Patrick's Day spread across almost the entire month of March.

Montserrat

The tiny island of Montserrat, known as "Emerald Island of the Caribbean" because of its founding by Irish refugees from Saint Kitts and Nevis, is the only place in the world apart from Ireland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador where St Patrick's Day is a public holiday. The holiday also commemorates a failed slave uprising that occurred on 17 March 1768.^[44]

New Zealand and Australia

Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in New Zealand and Australia - green items of clothing are traditionally worn and the streets are often filled with revellers drinking and making merry from early afternoon until late at night.

The Irish made a large impact on the social, political and education systems, of both countries. This is due to the large numbers of Irish people that emigrated to, or where brought over as convicts during the 19th century. As such, Saint Patrick's Day is seen as a day to celebrate individual links to Ireland and Irish heritage. ^{[citation needed]}

South Korea

The Irish Association of Korea has celebrated Saint Patrick's Day since 1976 in Seoul (the capital city of South Korea). The place of parade and festival has been moved from Itaewon and Daehangno to Cheonggyecheon.^[45]

Switzerland

While Saint Patrick's Day in Switzerland is commonly celebrated on March 17th with festivities like those in neighbouring central European countries, it is not unusual for Swiss students to organise celebrations in their own living spaces on Saint Patrick's Eve. Most popular are usually those in Zurich's Kreis 4. Traditionally, guests also contribute with beverages and dress accordingly in green.^[46]

References

^ ^a ^b Kevin Meethan, Alison Anderson, Steven Miles. Tourism, Consumption & Representation. CAB International. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "St Patrick's Day celebrations". Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times. Official Church of Ireland website. 12 March 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Retrieved 13 November 2010. In nineteenth-century America it became a celebration of Irishness more than a religious occasion, though attending Mass continues as an essential part of the day.
^ Edna Barth. Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols. Sandpiper. Retrieved 13 November 2010. For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is partially religious but overwhelmingly festive. For most Irish people in Ireland the day has little to do with religion at all. St. Patrick's Day church services are followed by parades and parties, the latter being the best attended. The festivities are marked by Irish music, songs, and dances.
^ ^a ^b ^c Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Retrieved 13 November 2010. The religious occasion did involve the wearing of shamrocks, an Irish symbol of the Holy Trinity, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on drinking.
^ ^a ^b John Nagle. Multiculturalism's Double-Bind. Ashgate Publishing. Retrieved 13 November 2010. Like many other forms of carnival, St. Patrick's Day is a feast day, a break from Lent in which adherents are allowed to temporarily abandon rigorous fasting by indulging in the forbidden. Since alcohol is often proscribed during Lent the copious consumption of alcohol is seen as an integral part of St. Patrick's day.
^ ^a ^b James Terence Fisher. Communion of Immigrants: A History of Catholics in America. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2010. The 40-day period (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter is known as Lent, a time of prayer and fasting. Pastors of Irish- American parishes often supplied "dispensations" for St. Patrick s Day, enabling parishioners to forego Lenten sacrifices in order to celebrate the feast of their patron saint.
^ "Public holidays in Ireland". Citizens Information Board. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
^ "Bank holidays". NI Direct. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
^ "Saint Patrick Foundation". Saint Patrick Foundation. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
^ "Confession of St. Patrick". Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
^ ^a ^b St. Patrick: Why Green? - video. History.com. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ The Wearing of the Green: A History of St. Patrick's Day. Routledge. 2002. ISBN 9780415180047. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ "St. Patrick's Day: Fact vs. Fiction". p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
^ "Holiday has history". Retrieved 21 March 2009.
^ Liam de Paor: St. Patrick's World, The Christian Culture of Ireland's Apostolic Age. Four Courts Press, Dublin, 1993
^ "The Catholic Encyclopedia: Luke Wadding". Retrieved 15 February 2007.
^ MacDonald, G. Jeffrey (6 March 2008). "St. Patrick's Day, Catholic Church march to different drummers". USA Today. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
^ Nevans-Pederson, Mary (13 March 2008). "No St. Pat's Day Mass allowed in Holy Week". Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Woodward Communications, Inc. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
^ "Humphry's Family Tree - James O'Mara". Humphrysfamilytree.com. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "The History of the Holiday." History Channel. . Retrieved 15 March 2006.
^ "St. Patrick's Festival was established by the Government of Ireland in November 1995". St. Patrick's Festival. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
^ "History.com". History.com. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "Dripsey". Dripsey. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
^ "More piety, fewer pints 'best way to celebrate'", The Irish Independent, 12 March 2007
^ "Northern Ireland | St Patrick's day parade refused funding". BBC News. 5 January 2000. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "Tomahawks To Host Ireland". We Are Rugby. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
^ "Saint Patrick´s Day in Argentina".
^ Saint Patrick's Day in Argentina on YouTube. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
^ "San Patricio convocó a una multitud". Clarin.com. 18 March 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
^ Nally, Pat (1992). "Los Irlandeses en la Argentina". Familia, journal of the Ulster Historical Foundation. 2 (8). Retrieved 6 November 2010.
^ name="St. Patrick's Day Parades"
^ "Celticfestvancouver.com". Celticfestvancouver.com. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "Guinness". Proposition 3-17. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "Calgary Tower gets full green bulb treatment". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ {{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/03/18/london-ontario-st-patricks-day-vandalism.html |title=St. Patrick's Day partying turns violent in London, Ont. |publisher=CBC |date= |accessdate=18 March 2012}}
^ "In pictures: St Patrick's Day around the world". 1st Battalion Irish Guards marching in a St Patrick"s Day parade held at the Victoria Barracks in Windsor. BBC. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
^ Richard P. Mcbrien. Lives of the Saints: From Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa. HarperOne. Retrieved 13 November 2010. The most famous church in the United States is dedicated to him, St. Patrick's in New York City. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all ethnic backgrounds by the wearing of green and parades. His feast, which is on the General Roman Calendar, has been given as March 17 in liturgical calendars and martyrologies. The Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the USA, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America observe his feast on this day, and he is also commemorated on the Russian Orthodox calendar.
^ BBC News - The day the world turns green 14 March 1998.
^ "Connecting Histories - St Patrick's Day Parade". Search.connectinghistories.org.uk. 12 March 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ St. Patrick's Parade 2009 (18 March 2009). "BBC.co.uk". BBC News. Retrieved 17 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) ^{[dead link]}
^ "Manchester Irish Festival". Manchester Irish Festival. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "1770s to 1830s". TheGlasgowStory. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
^ Fergus, Howard A. (1996). Gallery Montserrat: some prominent people in our history. Canoe Press University of West Indies. p. 83. ISBN 976-8125-25-X. Retrieved 24 December 2010. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ "Saint Patrick's Day in Korea Event Page". Irish Association of Korea. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^ "Saint Patrick's Eve in Switzerland Event Page". Zurich Student Association. Retrieved 20 February 2012.

External links

The Life, Miracles and Prayers of St. Patrick of Ireland, Patron Saint of Ireland
Official St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, Ireland
Saint Patrick History
Two books on St. Patrick
St. Patrick's Day History - slideshow by The Huffington Post
St. Patrick's Day on The History Channel
St Patrick's Confessio HyperStack: Saint Patrick's Writings in Latin (Bieler's edition) and various translations, facsimile of manuscripts and print editions of the Confessio and Epistola, scholarly articles on St Patrick and his writings, audio resources, a novel, a bibliography with over 1000 entries etc.

[Arrival_of_Christianity_in_Ireland-1] Kevin Meethan, Alison Anderson, Steven Miles. Tourism, Consumption & Representation. CAB International. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[2] "St Patrick's Day celebrations". Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times. Official Church of Ireland website. 12 March 2011.

[Irish_Culture_1-3] Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Retrieved 13 November 2010. In nineteenth-century America it became a celebration of Irishness more than a religious occasion, though attending Mass continues as an essential part of the day.

[Irish_Culture_5-4] Edna Barth. Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols. Sandpiper. Retrieved 13 November 2010. For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is partially religious but overwhelmingly festive. For most Irish people in Ireland the day has little to do with religion at all. St. Patrick's Day church services are followed by parades and parties, the latter being the best attended. The festivities are marked by Irish music, songs, and dances.

[Irish_Culture_2-5] Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Retrieved 13 November 2010. The religious occasion did involve the wearing of shamrocks, an Irish symbol of the Holy Trinity, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on drinking.

[Irish_Culture_3-6] John Nagle. Multiculturalism's Double-Bind. Ashgate Publishing. Retrieved 13 November 2010. Like many other forms of carnival, St. Patrick's Day is a feast day, a break from Lent in which adherents are allowed to temporarily abandon rigorous fasting by indulging in the forbidden. Since alcohol is often proscribed during Lent the copious consumption of alcohol is seen as an integral part of St. Patrick's day.

[Irish_Culture_4-7] James Terence Fisher. Communion of Immigrants: A History of Catholics in America. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2010. The 40-day period (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter is known as Lent, a time of prayer and fasting. Pastors of Irish- American parishes often supplied "dispensations" for St. Patrick s Day, enabling parishioners to forego Lenten sacrifices in order to celebrate the feast of their patron saint.

[8] "Public holidays in Ireland". Citizens Information Board. Retrieved 13 November 2010.

[9] "Bank holidays". NI Direct. Retrieved 13 November 2010.

[10] "Saint Patrick Foundation". Saint Patrick Foundation. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

[11] "Confession of St. Patrick". Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. Retrieved 10 March 2010.

[history.com-12] St. Patrick: Why Green? - video. History.com. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[13] The Wearing of the Green: A History of St. Patrick's Day. Routledge. 2002. ISBN 9780415180047. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[natgeo-14] "St. Patrick's Day: Fact vs. Fiction". p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2009.

[15] "Holiday has history". Retrieved 21 March 2009.

[16] Liam de Paor: St. Patrick's World, The Christian Culture of Ireland's Apostolic Age. Four Courts Press, Dublin, 1993

[17] "The Catholic Encyclopedia: Luke Wadding". Retrieved 15 February 2007.

[18] MacDonald, G. Jeffrey (6 March 2008). "St. Patrick's Day, Catholic Church march to different drummers". USA Today. Retrieved 11 March 2008.

[19] Nevans-Pederson, Mary (13 March 2008). "No St. Pat's Day Mass allowed in Holy Week". Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Woodward Communications, Inc. Retrieved 13 March 2008.

[omara1-20] "Humphry's Family Tree - James O'Mara". Humphrysfamilytree.com. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[hist-21] "The History of the Holiday." History Channel. . Retrieved 15 March 2006.

[festival-22] "St. Patrick's Festival was established by the Government of Ireland in November 1995". St. Patrick's Festival. Retrieved 20 March 2012.

[23] "History.com". History.com. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[24] "Dripsey". Dripsey. Retrieved 6 June 2010.

[25] "More piety, fewer pints 'best way to celebrate'", The Irish Independent, 12 March 2007

[26] "Northern Ireland | St Patrick's day parade refused funding". BBC News. 5 January 2000. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[27] "Tomahawks To Host Ireland". We Are Rugby. Retrieved 31 March 2011.

[28] "Saint Patrick´s Day in Argentina".

[29] Saint Patrick's Day in Argentina on YouTube. Retrieved 17 March 2009.

[30] "San Patricio convocó a una multitud". Clarin.com. 18 March 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

[31] Nally, Pat (1992). "Los Irlandeses en la Argentina". Familia, journal of the Ulster Historical Foundation. 2 (8). Retrieved 6 November 2010.

[32] ="St. Patrick's Day Parades"

[33] "Celticfestvancouver.com". Celticfestvancouver.com. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[34] "Guinness". Proposition 3-17. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[35] "Calgary Tower gets full green bulb treatment". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2010. ^{[dead link]}

[36] {{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/03/18/london-ontario-st-patricks-day-vandalism.html |title=St. Patrick's Day partying turns violent in London, Ont. |publisher=CBC |date= |accessdate=18 March 2012}}

[37] "In pictures: St Patrick's Day around the world". 1st Battalion Irish Guards marching in a St Patrick"s Day parade held at the Victoria Barracks in Windsor. BBC. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.

[Irish_and_non-Irish_celebrants-38] Richard P. Mcbrien. Lives of the Saints: From Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa. HarperOne. Retrieved 13 November 2010. The most famous church in the United States is dedicated to him, St. Patrick's in New York City. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all ethnic backgrounds by the wearing of green and parades. His feast, which is on the General Roman Calendar, has been given as March 17 in liturgical calendars and martyrologies. The Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the USA, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America observe his feast on this day, and he is also commemorated on the Russian Orthodox calendar.

[39] BBC News - The day the world turns green 14 March 1998.

[40] "Connecting Histories - St Patrick's Day Parade". Search.connectinghistories.org.uk. 12 March 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[41] St. Patrick's Parade 2009 (18 March 2009). "BBC.co.uk". BBC News. Retrieved 17 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) ^{[dead link]}

[42] "Manchester Irish Festival". Manchester Irish Festival. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[43] "1770s to 1830s". TheGlasgowStory. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

[44] Fergus, Howard A. (1996). Gallery Montserrat: some prominent people in our history. Canoe Press University of West Indies. p. 83. ISBN 976-8125-25-X. Retrieved 24 December 2010. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[45] "Saint Patrick's Day in Korea Event Page". Irish Association of Korea. Retrieved 17 March 2010.

[46] "Saint Patrick's Eve in Switzerland Event Page". Zurich Student Association. Retrieved 20 February 2012.

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 '''Saint Patrick's Day''' or the '''Feast of Saint Patrick''' ({{lang-ga|Lá Fhéile Pádraig}}, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick") is a cultural and [[religious holiday]] celebrated on 17 March. It commemorates [[Saint Patrick]] ({{circa}} AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the [[patron saint]]s of [[:Ireland]], and the arrival of [[Christianity in Ireland]].<ref name="Arrival of Christianity in Ireland"/> It is observed by the [[Catholic Church]], the [[Anglican Communion]] (especially the [[Church of Ireland]]),<ref>[http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=news&newsid=3496 "St Patrick's Day celebrations"]. Church of Ireland Notes from ''The Irish Times''. Official Church of Ireland website. 12 March 2011.</ref> the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]]. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official [[Calendar of saints|feast day]] in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a celebration of [[Culture of Ireland|Irish culture]] in general.<ref name="Irish Culture 1">{{Cite book|title=Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=OstE2fueRvcC&pg=PA52&dq=patricks+day+celebration+of+irish+culture+religious&hl=en&ei=rsCBTZ7pDLKN0QHX2NngCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=patricks%20day%20celebration%20of%20irish%20culture%20religious&f=false|quote=In nineteenth-century America it became a celebration of Irishness more than a religious occasion, though attending Mass continues as an essential part of the day.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
-The day is generally characterised by the attendance of [[church service]]s,<ref name="Irish Culture 1"/><ref name="Irish Culture 5">{{Cite book|title=Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols|publisher=Sandpiper|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7FleEqDJZD8C&pg=PA7&dq=patricks+day+church&hl=en&ei=wTmCTePLF8yL0QGh4u3ICA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFwQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false|quote=For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is partially religious but overwhelmingly festive. For most Irish people in Ireland the day has little to do with religion at all. St. Patrick's Day church services are followed by parades and parties, the latter being the best attended. The festivities are marked by Irish music, songs, and dances.|author=Edna Barth|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> wearing of green attire,<ref name="Irish Culture 2">{{Cite book|title=Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=OstE2fueRvcC&pg=PA52&dq=patricks+day+celebration+of+irish+culture+religious&hl=en&ei=rsCBTZ7pDLKN0QHX2NngCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=patricks%20day%20celebration%20of%20irish%20culture%20religious&f=false|quote=The religious occasion did involve the wearing of shamrocks, an Irish symbol of the Holy Trinity, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on drinking.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> public parades and processions, and the lifting of [[Lenten]] restrictions on [[Christian fasting|eating]], and [[Christianity and alcohol|drinking alcohol]],<ref name="Irish Culture 2"/><ref name="Irish Culture 3">{{Cite book|title=Multiculturalism's Double-Bind|author=John Nagle|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]]|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zqMCc37dW1kC&pg=PA118&dq=St.+Patricks+Day+lent&hl=en&ei=IMWBTezGJqy60QGy7bjFCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q&f=false|quote=Like many other forms of carnival, St. Patrick's Day is a feast day, a break from Lent in which adherents are allowed to temporarily abandon rigorous fasting by indulging in the forbidden. Since alcohol is often proscribed during Lent the copious consumption of alcohol is seen as an integral part of St. Patrick's day.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="Irish Culture 4">{{Cite book|title=Communion of Immigrants: A History of Catholics in America|author=James Terence Fisher|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=voeg2IjM4YAC&pg=PA88&dq=st.+patrick's+day+lent&hl=en&ei=l8iBTc_SHPKM0QGY3-XOCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=dispensation&f=false|quote=The 40-day period (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter is known as Lent, a time of prayer and fasting. Pastors of Irish- American parishes often supplied "dispensations" for St. Patrick s Day, enabling parishioners to forego Lenten sacrifices in order to celebrate the feast of their patron saint.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> which is often proscribed during the rest of the [[liturgical year|season]].<ref name="Irish Culture 1"/><ref name="Irish Culture 2"/><ref name="Irish Culture 3"/><ref name="Irish Culture 4"/>
+The day is generally characterized by the attendance of [[church service]]s,<ref name="Irish Culture 1"/><ref name="Irish Culture 5">{{Cite book|title=Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols|publisher=Sandpiper|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7FleEqDJZD8C&pg=PA7&dq=patricks+day+church&hl=en&ei=wTmCTePLF8yL0QGh4u3ICA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFwQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false|quote=For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is partially religious but overwhelmingly festive. For most Irish people in Ireland the day has little to do with religion at all. St. Patrick's Day church services are followed by parades and parties, the latter being the best attended. The festivities are marked by Irish music, songs, and dances.|author=Edna Barth|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> wearing of green attire,<ref name="Irish Culture 2">{{Cite book|title=Circles of Tradition: Folk Arts in Minnesota|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=OstE2fueRvcC&pg=PA52&dq=patricks+day+celebration+of+irish+culture+religious&hl=en&ei=rsCBTZ7pDLKN0QHX2NngCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=patricks%20day%20celebration%20of%20irish%20culture%20religious&f=false|quote=The religious occasion did involve the wearing of shamrocks, an Irish symbol of the Holy Trinity, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on drinking.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> public parades and processions, and the lifting of [[Lenten]] restrictions on [[Christian fasting|eating]], and [[Christianity and alcohol|drinking alcohol]],<ref name="Irish Culture 2"/><ref name="Irish Culture 3">{{Cite book|title=Multiculturalism's Double-Bind|author=John Nagle|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]]|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zqMCc37dW1kC&pg=PA118&dq=St.+Patricks+Day+lent&hl=en&ei=IMWBTezGJqy60QGy7bjFCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q&f=false|quote=Like many other forms of carnival, St. Patrick's Day is a feast day, a break from Lent in which adherents are allowed to temporarily abandon rigorous fasting by indulging in the forbidden. Since alcohol is often proscribed during Lent the copious consumption of alcohol is seen as an integral part of St. Patrick's day.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="Irish Culture 4">{{Cite book|title=Communion of Immigrants: A History of Catholics in America|author=James Terence Fisher|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=voeg2IjM4YAC&pg=PA88&dq=st.+patrick's+day+lent&hl=en&ei=l8iBTc_SHPKM0QGY3-XOCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=dispensation&f=false|quote=The 40-day period (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter is known as Lent, a time of prayer and fasting. Pastors of Irish- American parishes often supplied "dispensations" for St. Patrick s Day, enabling parishioners to forego Lenten sacrifices in order to celebrate the feast of their patron saint.|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> which is often proscribed during the rest of the [[liturgical year|season]].<ref name="Irish Culture 1"/><ref name="Irish Culture 2"/><ref name="Irish Culture 3"/><ref name="Irish Culture 4"/>
 Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the [[Republic of Ireland]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Public holidays in Ireland |publisher=Citizens Information Board |url=http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/public_holidays_in_ireland.html |accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> [[Northern Ireland]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Bank holidays |publisher=NI Direct |url=http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/government-citizens-and-rights/living-in-northern-ireland/bank-holidays.htm |accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] and in [[Montserrat]]. It is also widely celebrated by the [[Irish diaspora]], especially in places such as [[Great Britain]], Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saintpatrickfoundation.org/spf-in-an-nutshell |title=Saint Patrick Foundation |publisher=Saint Patrick Foundation |date= |accessdate=2012-03-17}}</ref>
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==Wearing of the green==
+[[File:Baby_wearing_green_shirt_with_shamrock.jpg|thumb|right|150px|On St. Patrick's Day, it is common to wear green attire, often with shamrocks on it.]]
 Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was [[St. Patrick's blue|blue]]. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew.<ref name="history.com">{{Cite video |url= http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/videos#green |title=St. Patrick: Why Green? - video|publisher=History.com |date= |accessdate=17 March 2010 |quote = }}</ref> Green ribbons and [[shamrock]]s were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Wearing of the Green: A History of St. Patrick's Day|authorlink=Mike Cronin |coauthors= Daryl Adair |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415180047|ref=Cronin2002}}</ref> Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the [[Holy Trinity]] to the [[Celtic polytheism|pagan Irish]], and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.<ref name="natgeo">{{cite web|url= http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0312_040312_stpatrick_2.html |title=St. Patrick's Day: Fact vs. Fiction | page = 2 |accessdate=31 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.csulb.edu/~d49er/spring00/news/v7n91-holiday.html |title=Holiday has history|accessdate=21 March 2009}}</ref> In the [[Irish Rebellion of 1798|1798 rebellion]], to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.<ref name="history.com" /> The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a [[The Wearing of the Green|song of the same name]].
@@ Line 37: / Line 38: @@
 [[File:St Patricks Day Inter Church Procession, Downpatrick, March 2010 (03).JPG|thumb|A St Patrick's Day religious procession in [[Downpatrick]], 2010]]
-[[File:Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2010, Dublin, Ireland, Accordion Violin.jpg|thumb|Girls playing [[Irish folk music]] during a St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, 2010]]
-[[File:Traditional-irish-stipatricksidayibadges.jpg|thumb|350px|Traditional St Patrick's Day badges from the early 20th century, photographed at the [[Museum of Country Life]] in [[County Mayo]]]]
-[[File:Guinness Storehouse St. Patrick's Day sign.jpg|thumb|Sign on a beam in Dublin's [[Guinness Storehouse]], a commercial museum promoting the drinking of Guinness stout on St Patrick's Day|alt=Everyone's Irish on 17 March]]
 In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was thanks to the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by Irish Member of Parliament [[James O'Mara]].<ref name="omara1">{{cite web|url=http://humphrysfamilytree.com/OMeara/james.html |title=Humphry's Family Tree - James O'Mara |publisher=Humphrysfamilytree.com |date= |accessdate=17 March 2010}}</ref> O'Mara later introduced the law that required that pubs and bars be closed on 17 March after drinking got out of hand, a provision that was repealed in the 1970s. The first Saint Patrick's Day parade held in the [[Irish Free State]] was held in [[Dublin]] in 1931 and was reviewed by the then Minister of Defence [[Desmond FitzGerald (politician)|Desmond Fitzgerald]]. Although secular celebrations now exist, the holiday remains a religious observance in Ireland, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the [[Church of Ireland]].
@@ Line 45: / Line 43: @@
 In the mid-1990s the government of the [[Republic of Ireland]] began a campaign to use Saint Patrick's Day to showcase Ireland and its culture.<ref name=hist>[http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/?page=history "The History of the Holiday." History Channel.] . Retrieved 15 March 2006.</ref> The government set up a group called [[St Patrick's Festival]], with the aim to:
+[[File:Traditional-irish-stipatricksidayibadges.jpg|thumb|350px|Traditional St Patrick's Day badges from the early 20th century, photographed at the [[Museum of Country Life]] in [[County Mayo]]]]
 {{quotation|
 *Offer a national festival that ranks amongst all of the greatest celebrations in the world and promote excitement throughout Ireland via innovation, creativity, grassroots involvement, and marketing activity.
@@ Line 51: / Line 50: @@
 }}
+[[File:Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2010, Dublin, Ireland, Accordion Violin.jpg|thumb|left|Girls playing [[Irish folk music]] during a St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, 2010]]
 The first Saint Patrick's Festival was held on 17 March 1996. In 1997, it became a three-day event, and by 2000 it was a four-day event. By 2006, the festival was five days long; more than 675,000 people attended the 2009 parade. Overall 2009's five day festival saw close to 1&nbsp;million visitors, who took part in festivities that included concerts, outdoor theatre performances, and fireworks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-facts/videos#history-of-st-patricks-day |title=History.com |publisher=History.com |date= |accessdate=17 March 2010}}</ref> [[Skyfest]] forms the centrepiece of the festival.
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 The biggest celebrations outside Dublin are in [[Downpatrick]], [[County Down]], where Saint Patrick is rumoured to be buried. In 2004, according to [[Down District Council]], the week-long St. Patrick's Festival had more than 2,000 participants and 82 floats, bands, and performers and was watched by more than 30,000 people.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}
+[[File:Guinness Storehouse St. Patrick's Day sign.jpg|thumb|Sign on a beam in Dublin's [[Guinness Storehouse]], a commercial museum promoting the drinking of Guinness stout on St Patrick's Day|alt=Everyone's Irish on 17 March]]
 The shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in [[Dripsey]], [[County Cork|Cork]]. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dripsey.com/ |title=Dripsey |publisher=Dripsey |date= |accessdate=6 June 2010}}</ref>

v t e Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States
January	New Year's Day (federal) Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (federal) Birthday of Eugenio María de Hostos (PR) Confederate Heroes Day (TX) Eve of Three Kings' Day (PR, religious) Feast of Epiphany / Feast of Theophany (religious) Fred Korematsu Day (AZ, CA, FL, HI, VA) Idaho Human Rights Day (ID) Inauguration Day (federal quadrennial) Kansas Day (KS) Makar Sankranti / Pongal (religious) Robert E. Lee Day (FL) Stephen Foster Memorial Day (36) The Eighth (LA) Three Kings' Day (PR, VI, religious) World Religion Day (religious)
January–February	Super Bowl Sunday Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year (NY, cultural, religious) Vasant Panchami (religious)
February American Heart Month Black History Month	Washington's Birthday (federal) Valentine's Day Birthday of Luis Muñoz Marín (PR) Candlemas (religious) Charles Darwin Day / Darwin Day (CA, DE) Day of Remembrance (CA, OR, WA, cultural) Georgia Day (GA) Groundhog Day Imbolc (religious) Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NY, WV) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day (36) Nirvana Day (religious) Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (religious) Promised Reformer Day (religious) Ronald Reagan Day (CA) Rosa Parks Day (CA, MO) Saviours' Day (religious) Susan B. Anthony Day (CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal) Tu B’shvat (religious)
February–March	Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday (PR, religious) Carnival (PR, VI, religious) Clean Monday (religious) Courir de Mardi Gras (religious) Intercalary Days (religious) Mahashivaratri (religious) Purim (religious) Shrove Tuesday (religious) Super Tuesday
March Irish-American Heritage Month Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women's History Month	Saint Patrick's Day (religious) Spring break (week) Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos (religious) Casimir Pulaski Day (IL) Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal) Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico (PR, cultural) Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA) Harriet Tubman Day (NY) Hola Mohalla (religious) Holi (NY, religious) L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (religious) Lailat al-Mi'raj (religious) Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, VA, cultural) Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA) Maryland Day (MD) Medal of Honor Day National Poison Prevention Week (week) Nowruz (cultural, religious) Ostara (religious) Pi Day Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI) Promised Messiah Day (religious) Saint Joseph's Day (religious) Seward's Day (AK) Texas Independence Day (TX) Town Meeting Day (VT) Transfer Day (VI) Trans Day of Visibility (cultural)
March–April	Easter (religious) Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious) Hanuman Jayanti (religious) Holy Thursday (PR, VI, religious) Holy Week (PR, religious, week) Lazarus Saturday (religious) Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (religious) Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year (religious) Palm Sunday (PR, religious) Passover (religious, week) Easter Monday / Bright Monday (VI, religious) Ramnavami (religious) Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi (religious)
April Arab American Heritage Month Confederate History Month	420 April Fools' Day Arbor Day Birthday of José de Diego (PR) Confederate Memorial Day (AL, MS) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week) Earth Day Emancipation Day (cultural) Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (AL) Lag B’Omer (religious) Last Friday of Great Lent (religious) Pascua Florida (FL) Patriots' Day (MA, ME) Ridván (religious) San Jacinto Day (TX) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night (religious) Yom Ha'atzmaut (cultural, religious)
May Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Military Appreciation Month	Memorial Day (federal) Mother's Day (36) Cinco de Mayo Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Ascension of Our Lord (religious) Caliphate Day (religious) Declaration of the Bab (religious) Harvey Milk Day (CA) International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state) Law Day (36) Loyalty Day (36) Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal) Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer (36) National Day of Reason National Defense Transportation Day (36) National Maritime Day (36) Peace Officers Memorial Day (36) Pentecost (religious) Shavuot (religious) Truman Day (MO) Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)
June Pride Month	Juneteenth (federal, cultural) Father's Day (36) Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA) Carolina Day (SC) Don Young Day (AK) Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious) Flag Day (36, proposed federal) Helen Keller Day (PA) Honor America Days (3 weeks) Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL) Kamehameha Day (HI) Litha (religious) Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious) Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural) Senior Week (week) Saint John's Day (PR, religious) West Virginia Day (WV)
July	Independence Day (federal) Asalha Puja Day (religious) Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR) Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR) Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural) Guru Purnima (religious) Khordad Sal (religious) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of the Báb (religious) Parents' Day (36) Pioneer Day (UT) Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)
July–August	Summer vacation Tisha B'Av (religious)
August	American Family Day (AZ) Barack Obama Day in Illinois (IL) Bennington Battle Day (VT) Dormition of the Theotokos (religious) Eid-e-Ghadeer (religious) Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (religious) Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (religious) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI) Krishna Janmashtami (religious) Lammas (religious) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX) Naga Panchami (religious) National Aviation Day (36) Paryushana (religious) Raksha Bandhan (religious) Transfiguration of the Lord (religious) Victory Day (RI) Women's Equality Day (36)
September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Childhood Cancer Awareness Month	Labor Day (federal) Brazilian Day (NY, cultural) California Admission Day (CA) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36) Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (36) Constitution Week Defenders Day (MD) Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious) Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious) Ganesh Chaturthi (religious) Gold Star Mother's Day (36) His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious) Mabon (religious) National Grandparents Day (36) National Payroll Week (week) Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious) Native American Day (proposed federal) Patriot Day (36) Von Steuben Day
September–October Hispanic Heritage Month	Chehlum Imam Hussain (religious) Oktoberfest Pitri Paksha (religious) Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (TX, NY, religious) Shemini Atzeret (religious) Simchat Torah (religious) Vijaya Dashami (religious) Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement (TX, NY, religious)
October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month	Columbus Day (federal) Halloween Alaska Day (AK) Child Health Day (36) General Pulaski Memorial Day German-American Day Indigenous Peoples' Day International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day (36) Missouri Day (MO) Nanomonestotse (cultural) National School Lunch Week (week) Native American Day in South Dakota (SD) Nevada Day (NV) Spirit Day (cultural) Sweetest Day Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week) Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI) White Cane Safety Day (36)
October–November	Birth of the Báb (religious) Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Day of the Dead (VI) Diwali (NY, religious) Mawlid al-Nabi (religious)
November Native American Indian Heritage Month	Veterans Day (federal) Thanksgiving (federal) Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious) All Saints' Day (religious) Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious) Beltane / Samhain (religious) Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL) D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI) Day after Thanksgiving (24) Day of the Covenant (religious) Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR) Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal) Family Day (NV) Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious) Hanukkah (religious) Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious) Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural) Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious) Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural) Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)
December	Christmas (religious, federal) New Year's Eve Advent Sunday (religious) Alabama Day (AL) Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious) Bodhi Day (religious) Chalica (religious) Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI) Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI) Festivus HumanLight Hanukkah (religious, week) Immaculate Conception (religious) Indiana Day (IN) Kwanzaa (cultural, week) Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36) Nativity of Jesus (religious) Old Year's Night (VI) Pan American Aviation Day (36) Pancha Ganapati (religious, week) Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious) Wright Brothers Day (36) Yule (religious) Zartosht No-Diso (religious)
Varies (year round)	Eid al-Adha (NY, religious) Eid al-Fitr (NY, religious) Islamic New Year (religious) Yawm al-Arafa (religious) Hajj (religious) Laylat al-Qadr (religious) Navaratri (religious, four times a year) Obon (religious) Onam (religious) Ramadan (religious, month) Ghost Festival (religious) Yawm Aashura (religious)
Legend: (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, Public holidays in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

v t e Public holidays in the United Kingdom
All regions	New Year's Day May Bank Holiday Summer Bank Holiday Christmas Day Boxing Day
England and Wales	Good Friday Easter Monday Spring Bank Holiday
Northern Ireland	Saint Patrick's Day Easter Monday Easter Tuesday Spring Bank Holiday Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)
Scotland	2nd January Good Friday St Andrew's Day (optional)