Saint Patrick’s Day

by: Foxtrotter



Saint Patrick’s day is the day which annually celebrates Saint Patrick (385-461) one of the patron saints of Ireland. This feast day is celebrated on March 17th, the day when Saint Patrick died .

History

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in 385. He studied in a monastery, near Auxerre, for twelve years. However, Saint Patrick wished to return to Ireland and also to convert the pagans. He travelled to Ireland and established monasteries across the country.

His mission in Ireland lasted thirty years. After this time, Patrick retired to County Down . He died on March 17th, 461 . His death has been commerated as St. Patrick's Day since 461 .

The celebration of St. Patrick's Day started in America in 1737. The first year the public celebration of St. Patrick's was in Boston , Massachusetts .

The celebration

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world by Irish and non-Irish people .
The St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin is a part of the five-day festival. Over 500, 000 people were at the 2006 parade. The biggest St. Patrick's Day parade is in New York City. In many parts of North America, Britain, and Australia , many people who are not Irish also celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

In 2007, there will be the first annual St. Patrick's Day parade and festival in the Scottish city of Glasgow, where there is a big Irish community.

Recent history

In the recent past, Saint Patrick's Day was celebrated only as a religious holiday. It became a public holiday in 1903 .

On this day, many Irish people wear a lot of shamrocks on their caps, or green, white, and orange clothes (the colors of the Irish flag ).





More about Saint Patrick’s day on http://www.anglaisfacile.com/free/stpat.php or http://www.st-patricks-day.com/index.asp