Saint
Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick"), is
a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death
date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461),
the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by theCatholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland),the Eastern
Orthodox Church, and
the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival
of Christianity
in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.Christians also attend church services and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking
alcohol are
lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition
of alcohol consumption.
Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province ofNewfoundland
and Labrador, and
the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora
around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, andNew Zealand. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries
than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by
those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America.
In recent years, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations
for having become too commercialized and for fostering negative stereotypes of
the Irish.
