St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland only)

St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland only) in United Kingdom, for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland only)	2018	2019	2020
St Patrick’s Day	Saturday 17th March	Sunday 17th March	Tuesday 17th March

St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick's Day - a celebration

St Patrick's Day is traditionally celebrated on 17 March, being the date generally recognised as the date of St Patrick's death in the 5th century AD. It is a celebration of the life of the man traditionally seen as Ireland's patron saint.

The origins of St Patrick's Day

St Patrick's Day commemorates the life of a man born in Britain to a Romano-British family. Captured as a slave and sent to Ireland, the man later known as St Patrick received a revelation from God to convert Ireland to Christianity. This he did after escaping slavery and serving twelve years in a monastery in France. He is often credited with introducing the concept of the shamrock as the Holy Trinity, thereby creating the shamrock as an emblem of Ireland still seen today during St Patrick's Day celebrations.

St Patrick's Day celebrations

St Patrick's Day is one of Northern Ireland bank holidays, during which time most businesses are expected to close, although pubs and restaurants remain open. It is not a Northern Ireland only holiday - it is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and in other parts of the world. The day is famously celebrated in the United States with parades and with an emphasis on the colour green, such as in Chicago where the river is dyed green for the day.

Other Northern Ireland bank holidays

Other Northern Ireland bank holidays include Summer Bank Holiday and the Battle of The Boyne (Orangeman's Day). The latter is a Northern Ireland only holiday. Other Northern Ireland Holidays include standard holidays such as Christmas and Easter holidays.

How to commemorate St Patrick's Day

Around the world St Patrick is remembered through parades and festivals but in Northern Ireland's County Down, where the saint is said to be buried, the day can include visits to North Down Museum, where medieval artefacts are on display..