On St. Patrick’s Day, people dress up with jewelry, green clothing, and makeup to honor the holiday that started way back in 1631. Saint Patrick’s Day was originally celebrated in Ireland with religious services and feasts in honor of St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s Patron Saints. When Irish immigrants brought St. Patrick’s Day traditions to the United States, the day evolved into a secular celebration of Irish culture. St. Patrick’s Day 2023 will take place on Friday, March 17. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.

St. Patrick’s Day falls during the Christian season of Lent where Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. A fact from History™ says, “Since around the 9th or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick on March 17,”. The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade took place in St. Augustine, Florida. The parade was organized by the Spanish Colony’s Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched into New York City on March 17, 1772, to honor the Irish Patron Saint.”

Here in Santa Clarita, some people celebrate this holiday by throwing a party to celebrate the tradition, or there are also some cool things to do such as scavenger hunts, Saint Patrick’s day 5k run, an annual dinner dance, and a storytime about the holiday.

People all around the world dress up in green and wear Irish colors, including green, orange, and white. Make sure to wear green on this day or you might get pinched!