Articles and Stories

March 17, 2015

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually worldwide on March 17th. Also know as The Feast of Saint Patrick, celebrations often include parades, wearing green, and the drinking of Irish beer and whiskey. Many may not realize that Saint Patrick’s Day is both a cultural and religious holiday, celebrating one of Ireland’s most famed patron saints.

Widely celebrated in Ireland as religious holiday by Catholics as early as the 1600s, it wasn’t until mid 1990s that St Patrick’s day became a way to express the Irish lifestyle. The year 1996 marked the first St Patrick’s day festival in Dublin. It has since grown into a five day event with over a million participants.

In the weeks prior to St Patrick’s day, the Irish language, Gaeilge, is celebrated by a festival and the promotion of using Ireland’s native language. This is know as Seachtain na Gaeilge, Irish Language Week. While the majority of Ireland now speaks English, it is estimated that there are still about five to ten percent of active Irish language speakers amongst the Irish population.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations span further than Ireland. Festivities can be found around the world from the United States and Canada to Australia and Japan. So join in the merriment wherever you may be on this March 17th. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from World Translation Center!

Check out some of these spectacular celebrations courtesy of travelchannel.com:

http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/st-patricks-day-celebrations-around-the-world/page/6