Next: 17 Mar 2027
St Patrick's Day
Ireland's national day: shamrocks, parades, Mass in the morning, and green around the world.
When is St Patrick's Day in 2027?
St Patrick's Day 2027 is on Wednesday, 17 March 2027. Other years: 2026, Tuesday, 17 March 2026; 2028, Friday, 17 March 2028.
About St Patrick's Day
St Patrick's Day, on 17 March, remembers the patron saint of Ireland, a fifth-century missionary said to have used the shamrock to explain the Trinity. In Ireland it is a day of Mass in the morning and of parades through towns, the largest in Dublin, as well as family gatherings, with a pint of stout and a meal of bacon and cabbage or lamb stew. People wear a sprig of shamrock and green clothes. The Irish diaspora has made it a global festival: the Chicago River is dyed green, the New York parade is among the oldest, and landmarks from the Sydney Opera House to the Colosseum are lit in green. Ceilidh dancing and traditional music sessions are common.
St Patrick's Day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | St Patrick's Day date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 17 March 2026 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, 17 March 2027 |
| 2028 | Friday, 17 March 2028 |
What is eaten
- Irish stew
- colcannon
- soda bread
- bacon and cabbage
- Guinness
Traditions of St Patrick's Day
Also part of it, and being written: Saint Patrick (The saint honoured.), Irish stew (The dish of the table.), Ceilidh (The traditional social dance.).
More marked on St Patrick's Day
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSaint Patrick's Day in the United States
An annual celebration of Irish heritage across America with parades, feasts and green dyeFestival · Dinner
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSaint Patrick's DayLá Fhéile Pádraig
An annual Irish holiday of parades, church services, green dress and shamrocksFestival
🇮🇪 Galway, IrelandSeachtain na Gaeilge
Seventeen days of Irish-language events, from 1 March to St Patrick's DayFestival
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Saint Patrick's Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Saint Patrick's Day: rannṗáirtí anaiṫnid ( coṁrá ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint Patrick's Day in the United States: White House/Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
- Shamrock: Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source