Irish culture is a delight all year, but gets more notice around March 17th as Saint Patrick's Day approaches. The wonderful Irish music, dance, food, and products suddenly become very popular and everyone enjoys being "just a wee bit" Irish.

Traditionally celebrated as a religious holiday, St. Patrick's Day has, in the modern times, become a popular social celebration. It was named to honor the patron saint of Ireland. There are many legends and stories surrounding the life of St. Patrick. He is known for his dedication and efforts to advance Christianity in Ireland. St. Patrick is believed to have died on March 17, 493 A.D; thus, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated each year on March 17th.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock (a trifoliate clover). And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how St. Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He used the shamrock in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. The saint’s followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day. Universally people believe the four-leaf clover bestows good luck upon the person who finds it and according to the folk lore the four leaves stand for Hope, Faith, Love and Luck.

Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing green clothes as well as shamrock jewelry, and drinking Irish beer. One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it marks the beginning of the spring season. The importance of green color on this occasion also highlights spring.

St. Patrick's Day in the United States

The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in the year 1737 which incidentally was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston. Now it has become a secular custom. In the United States, St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of all things Irish, from Irish food to the leaf shamrock. There are many parades on this day. People wear green and dress like leprechauns in silly green outfits. They wear pins with Irish symbols, the most popular being the shamrock. Traditional Irish food and Irish beer is relished on this occasion. In the year 2005, the Chicago river was dyed green to mark the day.