2. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March in many countries all over the world. The holiday celebrates St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. In Ireland it is a national holiday, and no one goes to work. In the United States and in Great Britain, it is not a national holiday.

3. St. Patrick came to Ireland in 432 to convert the Irish to Christianity, from paganism. According to Irish folklore, St. Patrick used shamrocks to teach the Irish about the Holy Trinity, an important belief of Christianity. St. Patrick died on 17 March 461.

4. The Irish have celebrated St
The Irish have celebrated St. Patrick's Day since the 9th and 10th centuries. It became an official religious holiday in the 1600s, and an official national holiday in Today, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland is less religious and is mostly a celebration of Irish culture and heritage.

5. St. Patrick's Day is usually celebrated with parades. The biggest St
St. Patrick's Day is usually celebrated with parades. The biggest St. Patrick's Day parade in Ireland is in Dublin, but the biggest parade in the world is in New York City. St. Patrick's Day is also celebrated with parties, where people listen to traditional Irish music, practice traditional Irish dances, and eat traditional Irish food.

6. Traditional Irish dances: Irish step dancing, and the Irish jig.

7. “Traditional” food on St
“Traditional” food on St. Patrick's Day: Corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. Also, Irish soda bread.

8. St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in the United States since the 1770s (Revolutionary War). It was widely celebrated by Irish immigrants to the United States who, at first, were discriminated against for their heritage. These immigrants celebrated St. Patrick's Day with parades as a way to protest the way they were treated.

9. Today, St. Patrick's Day is a very popular holiday in the United States. It is popular with people of Irish heritage as well as people who do not have Irish heritage. A popular saying is “Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day.” Everyone wears green clothes, because if you don't, you could get pinched!

10. Aside from the shamrock, one of the most common symbols of St
Aside from the shamrock, one of the most common symbols of St. Patrick's Day is the leprechaun. A leprechaun is a kind of fairy from Irish folklore that is known for being mischevious. They hide from humans, but they say that if you catch one, he will lead you to his pot of gold that he hides at the end of a rainbow.