Days Until St. Patrick's Day

About St. Patrick's Day

March 17 marks the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the patron saint credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, and is a public holiday in Ireland itself.

Its modern global visibility — green-themed parades and celebrations well beyond Ireland, especially in the US — largely grew out of Irish diaspora communities, with New York's parade dating back to the 18th century.

Ireland itself only lifted a decades-long law requiring pubs to close on March 17 (originally a solemn religious feast day) in 1970 — a genuine reminder that the raucous public celebration now associated with the date is a comparatively recent shift even within Ireland.

Chicago has dyed its river green for the holiday since 1962, a now-famous local tradition using an environmentally safe dye that lasts only a few hours before fading.