Observances & special days · in 235 days
When is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's Day 2027 is on Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
St. Patrick's Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
A celebration of Irish culture and the patron saint of Ireland, marked by parades and the colour green worldwide.
In 2026, it falls in ISO week 12. Need the full year's calendar? See all 2026 weeks, or browse every other date.
At a glance
The history of St. Patrick's Day
Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland. March 17 has been observed as his feast day since the 9th or 10th century. The first St. Patrick's Day parade wasn't held in Ireland but in colonial America, possibly New York or Boston, in the 17th or 18th century. Large-scale Irish emigration during and after the 1840s Great Famine spread the celebration globally. In Ireland itself, it was a quiet religious feast until 1996, when Dublin began its modern festival.
How St. Patrick's Day is celebrated
Wearing green, parades, pinning shamrocks, drinking Guinness or green beer, and Chicago dyeing its river green since 1962. New York and Boston host two of the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parades. Catholic dispensations sometimes allow corned beef and cabbage during Lent.
Did you know?
Patrick wasn't Irish; he was born in Roman Britain and brought to Ireland as a slave at 16.
Chicago has dyed its river bright green every St. Patrick's Day since 1962.
The original colour associated with St. Patrick was blue, not green.
St. Patrick's Day in upcoming years
How the date is set
Always March 17, the traditional date of St. Patrick's death around 461 AD.
Sources & further reading
For more detail on St. Patrick's Day, see these references.
Related dates
St. Patrick's Day: questions and answers
When is St. Patrick's Day 2027?
St. Patrick's Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
What day of the week is St. Patrick's Day this year?
In 2026, St. Patrick's Day is a Tuesday, March 17.
How is the date of St. Patrick's Day determined?
Always March 17, the traditional date of St. Patrick's death around 461 AD.