Monday 19 March 2012

How do people celebrate St. Patrick's day?

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17th March as it is believed that the patron saint of Ireland died on that day in the year 461 AD. It is basically a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history, particularly at places with a lot of Irish immigrants. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and Christians usually attend a mass to honour St. Patrick who converted many pagans to Christianity.   


The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day during the 19th century. Green was worn by people to encourage their crops to grow.


In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps.
The shamrock, the three-leafed clover is the symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick's day, the saint used it as a metaphor for the Christian Trinity.

Just like the Princess of Cambridge 

The phrase, "Drowning The Shamrock" is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.


Women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair. 


Many people dye their hair green or wear green wigs for the special day.


34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people so it is not surprising that St. Patrick's day is also widely celebrated around the USA. 

Even in McDonalds

Many bars in the United States, and abroad, serve green beer. 


In Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day, the rivers are dyed green.


In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads.


And have you ever seen Google on 17th March?


Happy St. Patrick's Day!