St Patrick's Day 2027 — How Many Days Until St Patrick's Day?

About St Patrick's Day

St Patrick's Day is observed on 17 March each year, commemorating the death of St Patrick — the patron saint of Ireland — in AD 461. Patrick, a Romano-British Christian missionary, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. He used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, establishing the shamrock as Ireland's national symbol.

The earliest St Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland — it was held in Boston in 1737 and in New York in 1762, organised by Irish soldiers serving in the British army. Ireland itself did not hold parades until the 20th century, and the public holiday was made mandatory there only in 1903. The day fell during Lent, and pubs in Ireland were legally required to close on 17 March until 1970.

Today St Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture. Chicago dyes its river green; New York's Fifth Avenue parade draws over 150,000 marchers; Sydney and Buenos Aires hold major events. The Guinness brewery estimates that approximately 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide on St Patrick's Day — compared with 5.5 million on an average day.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is St Patrick's Day?
St Patrick's Day is always on 17 March every year.
Is St Patrick's Day a public holiday?
Yes — 17 March is a public holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not a public holiday in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia, though it is widely celebrated in all of them.
Why do people wear green on St Patrick's Day?
Green became associated with Ireland through the shamrock (used by St Patrick to teach about the Trinity) and the "Emerald Isle" nickname. Wearing green is said to make you invisible to leprechauns, who would otherwise pinch you.
Who was St Patrick?
St Patrick (c. 385–461 AD) was a Romano-British missionary who was captured by Irish pirates as a teenager and enslaved. He escaped to Britain but later returned to Ireland to spread Christianity, becoming the country's most celebrated patron saint.