St. Patrick's Day commemorates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It has evolved from a religious holiday to a global celebration incorporating traditional Celtic symbols. Key traditions include attending church, lifting the rules of Lent to eat bacon and cabbage, dyeing rivers green, and holding parades featuring Irish music played on instruments like the fiddle and pipes.

1. St. Patrick’s
Day

2. Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland.
He converted many Irish to Christianity in
the fifth century.
St. Patrick incorporated traditional Celtic
symbols, like the bonfire and the sun, into
his Christian teachings.
St. Patrick died on March 17, 462.
St. Patrick’s Day is the saint’s feast day and
has evolved from a religious holiday to a
worldwide celebration.

3. St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
• Christians attend church in the morning and celebrate in the
afternoon, although pubs in Ireland were closed on March 17
by law until 1995.
• The rules of Lent are waived and revelers traditionally eat Irish
bacon and cabbage.
• Many rivers around the world are dyed green for the day.
• Parades are held in many cities around the world to celebrate.

4. St. Patrick’s Day Symbols
The shamrock, or
“seamroy,” symbolizes the
rebirth of spring. It was
later adopted as a symbol
of Irish nationalism.
The leprechaun, or
“lobaircin” was a cranky,
“small-bodied fellow” of
Celtic folklore, given its
“cute” features and
popularized in the United
The Celtic Cross – a sun States by Walt Disney.
(from the Celts) super-
imposed on a cross
(from the Christians)

5. St. Patrick’s Day Symbols
St. Patrick never drove
snakes from Ireland; the
story is a metaphor for
driving paganism from the
island.
The traditional meal of
Irish bacon and cabbage is
Music has always been an still a favourite of Irish
important part of the St. families today
Patricks Day celebrations.
Irish music is produced with
instruments like the fiddle,
the uilleann pipes, the tin
whistle, and the bodhran.

6. St. Patrick’s Parade