It is celebrated on the 17th of March, the date when the saint died.
It's also a popular holiday in the United States, because there are a lot of Irish immigrants.
On St. Patrick's day people usually wear green clothes. Children usually pinch those who don't wear green.
The traditional symbols are the shamrock, the harp and the leprechaun. Leprechauns are small Irish fairies who live in the forest. They make shoes and they have a lot of gold!
SAINT PATRICK
St. Patrick was a priest who lived in the fourth century and brought Christianity to Ireland.
His day is the 17th of Marchand Irish people all over the world mark the day with parades and parties. He is famous for banishing the snakes from Ireland, and for using the shamrock to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
He was born in Britain. It was the year 373 and the Romans still ruled that part of the world. Many of the people in Wales and Ireland were Druids, who worshipped the sun and other aspects of nature.
When Patrick was a teenager, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave.
One day, he heard God telling him to escape, and he ran down to the sea where he found a ship waiting to take him home.
When he was older, he studied to become a priest, he heard a voice calling on him to return to Ireland and to tell the people there about Christianity.
Patrick travelled all over Ireland, and had many adventures while he spread the christian message.
Ireland is a very rainy country, and the fields are emerald green. One of the most common plants that grows among the grass is the shamrock, a small clover with three leaves.
St. Patrick used to pick up the shamrock and explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the three leaves were The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.
