Every year, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17. It is usually a fun day when people wear green so that they don't get pinched for not wearing green. But, this holiday is not all fun and shamrocks, there is also a real history behind St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick’s Day honors Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. The holiday is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The history of this holiday dates back to more than 1,000 years. The origin of St. Patrick’s Day is religious. Christians in Ireland began observing a feast day for St. Patrick around the ninth and 10th centuries. St. Patrick's day always falls during lent, a 40-day, solemn Christian season of fasting, prayer, and reflection before Easter. 

Who was St. Patrick? St. Patrick lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. When he was 16-years-old, he was kidnapped from his home in Roman, Britain and was brought to Ireland as a slave. St. Patrick did manage to escape slavery, but later returned to Ireland as a missionary trying to spread Christianity to the Irish people.  

 During the 17th century, settlers in America established new holiday traditions to go along with the celebrations they brought from their former countries. For example, parades, festivals, and adding the tradition of wearing green was added to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day and the overall celebration of Irish culture. Another major addition to the traditional celebration of St. Patrick's Day was feasting and drinking when people in American traditionally eat corned beef and cabbage. These American—not Irish—creations have become favorite additions to the St. Patrick's celebration for many Americans. 

Fun Fact:  While St. Patrick's Day is not a federal holiday in the United States, it is in Ireland so schools and business are closed on March 17 in Ireland, but not in the United States.