St. Patrick’s Day is the Roman Catholic feast day that honors St. Patrick (387-461 AD), the patron saint of Ireland. Because of St. Patrick’s patronage, St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) has come to be closely associated with Ireland and Irish culture.
The most common traditions on St. Patrick’s Day include wearing green, enjoying Irish folk music and food, and by consuming large quantities of Irish beer (sometimes dyed green), such as Murphys, Smithwicks, Harp or Guinness or other Irish liquors such as Irish whiskey, Irish Coffee or Baileys Irish Cream. Traditional symbols of St. Patrick’s Day are the national emblem of Ireland, shamrocks (a plant with leaves composed of three leaflets), and leprechauns.
