Are you ready for a cold pint of Guinness, bangers and mash while wearing a giant green hat?
While St. Patrick’s Day is not recognized as a federal holiday in the U.S., it gives both Irish and non-Irish Americans a themed reason to celebrate. It is a national holiday in Ireland, and while the celebration kicks off tourist season now, 40 years ago, the day was marked with religious observations that even closed down bars.
American celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day has morphed the occasion into the festive bar crawl that is seen today, however the rich history behind this day of laughter and libations that shan’t be forgotten in the surge of shamrocks and drunken shanties.
When is St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, falls on March 17 every year. In 2025, March 17 is a Monday.
Who was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish – he was born in Britain near the end of the fourth century and was taken prisoner by Irish raiders when he was 16. He spent six years in captivity in Ireland, according to the History Channel, where he eventually became a devout Christian.
According to Patrick’s writing, he believed God’s voice spoke to him in a dream and told him to leave Ireland – and he escaped. Later, in another dream, he wrote that an angel had told him to return to Ireland as a missionary, and he became a priest after 15 years of study.
While many believe St. Patrick was responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland, the History Channel reports his mission was to minister to existing Irish Christians as well as convert non-Christians.
Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
Ireland and neighbors across the pond have commemorated Saint Patrick since the ninth or 10th century, according to the History Channel.
St. Patrick was never canonized by the Catholic Church but has enjoyed longstanding historical popularity. Saint Patrick died on March 17, 461, which later became the day we celebrate him and the Irish.
America’s first St. Patrick’s Day celebration was in 1600 in the Spanish colony of present-day St. Augustine, Florida. Spanish colonial records mentioned a celebration for Saint Patrick in 1600 and the first known St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601.
The tale of Saint Patrick likely traveled from Ireland to the Americas in the 16th century by way of Richard Arthur, a priest in St. Augustine and an Irish soldier, The Washington Post reported. Records of St. Patrick celebrations died with Arthur, but additional records show Irish soldiers in the English military marched in celebration of Saint Patrick in Boston in 1737 and New York City in 1762.
Decades of growing Irish patriotism resulted in Irish Aid societies and annual parades of bagpipes and drums. They united to form one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1848, according to the History Channel.
While rowdy celebrations occurred in the U.S., Irish laws mandated pubs be closed on St. Patrick’s Day until the 1970s. In 1995, the Irish government began campaigning for bigger March 17 celebrations to drive tourism.
Patrick’s legacy continued in the U.S., particularly in areas with large groups of Irish immigrants. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is one of the most recognizable churches in the country and was “created to affirm the ascendance of religious freedom and tolerance,” according to the Cathedral’s site.
-Austin American-Statesman reporter Mars Salazar and USA TODAY Network reporter Clare Mulroy contributed to this report.
