St
.
Day
,
celebrated
annually
on
March
,
is
a
cultural
and
holiday
honoring
the
saint
of
Ireland
,
Saint
Patrick
.
a
religious
feast
day
,
the
holiday
has
evolved
over
time
to
become
a
of
Irish
culture
,
and
heritage
.
The
origins
of
St
.
Patrick's
date
back
to
the
early
17th
century
when
it
was
first
recognized
as
a
feast
day
by
the
Catholic
.
The
holiday
commemorates
the
life
and
teachings
of
Saint
Patrick
,
a
Christian
missionary
,
who
is
credited
with
bringing
Christianity
to
in
the
5th
century
.
to
legend
Saint
Patrick
used
the
,
a
three
-
leafed
plant
,
to
explain
the
concept
of
the
Holy
Trinity
to
the
people
.
As
a
result
,
the
shamrock
has
become
a
symbol
of
the
holiday
,
and
is
often
worn
as
a
decoration
or
pinned
to
clothing
.
Saint
Patrick
is
believed
to
have
died
on
March
17th
461
AD
,
which
is
why
this
date
is
as
his
feast
day
.
St
.
Patrick's
Day
celebrations
often
involve
,
festivals
,
and
traditional
Irish
food
and
drink
.
Corned
beef
and
,
Irish
soda
bread
,
and
Guinness
beer
,
are
just
a
few
of
the
dishes
that
are
commonly
associated
with
the
holiday
.
In
many
around
the
world
,
large
-
scale
parades
featuring
marching
bands
,
floats
,
and
are
held
to
celebrate
the
holiday
.
These
parades
often
attract
thousands
of
and
are
a
colorful
display
of
Irish
culture
and
heritage
.
popular
tradition
associated
with
St
.
Patrick's
Day
is
the
practice
of
wearing
.
Green
is
the
color
most
commonly
associated
with
Ireland
and
is
often
worn
on
the
holiday
as
a
of
Irish
pride
.
Those
who
fail
to
wear
green
on
St
.
Patrick's
Day
are
sometimes
playfully
pinched
by
others
who
are
wearing
the
color
.
Ireland
is
a
small
of
only
about
six
million
.
,
according
to
the
Irish
government
,
about
70
people
claim
Irish
heritage
or
ancestry
worldwide
.
Thus
,
while
St
.
Patrick's
Day
is
primarily
associated
with
Ireland
and
Irish
culture
,
the
holiday
is
celebrated
in
many
countries
the
world
,
especially
the
UK
,
the
US
,
Australia
,
and
to
name
but
a
few
.
In
fact
,
the
and
oldest
Saint
Patrick's
Day
parade
in
the
world
is
held
,
not
in
Ireland
,
but
in
New
City
,
with
an
estimated
two
million
people
attending
every
year
.