Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on March 17. It is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. It is observed by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutherans.
Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century, and has gradually become a celebration of Irish culture in general. Can’t forget the drinking music too!
The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire, especially shamrocks, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on fasting and drinking, which is often proscribed during the rest of the season.
Sláinte is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, literally translating as “health”. Variations of this toast exist, it can for example be expanded to sláinte mhaith “good health” in Irish (mhaith being the lenited form of maith “good”).
The shamrock (♣) is a symbol of Ireland. It is a three-leafed old white clover. The name shamrock is derived from Irish seamróg, which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover (seamair).
The four leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved shamrock, also known as clover. According to tradition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally.
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide.
Corned beef and cabbage is not a traditional Irish meal, it has been an integral part of Irish-American culture and is often related to Irish holidays such as Saint Patrick’s Day. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is bacon and cabbage (more akin to Canadian style bacon or ham). Corned beef and cabbage became popular in America after Irish immigrants in the eastern United States used corned beef instead of pork in their traditional dish.
Source: Wikipedia