What do the colour green and 17 March have in common? That’s right, it’s St Patrick’s Day!
St Patrick’s Day – also known as the Feast of St Patrick – is celebrated annually by millions of people across the globe, not just by people of Irish descent, but increasingly by people of other ethnicities as well.
Celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish and – by association – the colour green. Both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of this holiday by wearing green clothing, drinking green beverages and decorating their houses and businesses with shamrocks.
In fact, the wearing of the green is a tradition that dates back to a story written about St Patrick (AD 385–461) in 1726. He was known to use the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity and for wearing green clothing.
The Feast of St Patrick started in the early 17th century. The day marked the death of St Patrick and was chosen as an official Christian feast day to be observed by the Catholic Church. The day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat.
Celebrate today by wearing something green and use #St.Patrick’sDay to post on social media.
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