When Is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's Day 2027 is on Wednesday, March 17 — in 132 days. It is on March 17 every year; in 2028 it falls on a Friday.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
St. Patrick's Day, March 17, honors Saint Patrick, the 5th-century missionary and patron saint of Ireland, traditionally said to have died on that date in 461. In the US it is a celebration of Irish heritage with parades, not a public holiday.
March 2027 calendar
St. Patrick's Day is marked on Wednesday, March 17, 2027, along with the other US federal holidays and observances of the month.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Observance
- Weekend
March 2027 – St. Patrick's Day 2027
| Wk | SundaySun | MondayMon | TuesdayTue | WednesdayWed | ThursdayThu | FridayFri | SaturdaySat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 11 | 14Daylight saving time begins | 15 | 16 | 17St. Patrick's Day | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 12 | 21Palm Sunday | 22 | 23Purim | 24 | 25 | 26Good Friday | 27 |
| 13 | 28Easter Sunday | 29 | 30 | 31 |
St. Patrick's Day dates 2020–2040
St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekend in 5 of these 21 years.
Who was St. Patrick?
Patrick was born in Roman Britain. By his own account, in the Confessio, he was captured by Irish raiders at 16, escaped after six years, and later returned to Ireland as a missionary bishop. The shamrock and snake legends were attached to him centuries later.
Parades in America
The earliest recorded St. Patrick's celebrations in what is now the US took place in Spanish St. Augustine, Florida, in 1600 and 1601, with a procession and cannon salutes. Boston's Charitable Irish Society marked the day in 1737, and New York City's parade dates from March 17, 1762. Chicago has dyed the Chicago River green for the holiday since 1962.
Holiday status
March 17 became a bank holiday in Ireland in 1903 and is now a public holiday in the Republic and a bank holiday in Northern Ireland. In Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which includes Boston, it is also a legal holiday, Evacuation Day, marking the British evacuation of Boston in 1776.
March 17 always falls in Lent. It next falls on a Friday in 2028 and 2034 and on a Sunday in 2030.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica – St. Patrick's Day
- University of South Florida – St. Patrick's Day celebrations did not originate in Boston
- NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade – History
- Enjoy Illinois – History of Chicago River dyeing
- Catholic News Agency – Irish bishops move St. Patrick's Day 2008
- National Catholic Register – St. Patrick's Day and the Lenten fast (2023)
Frequently asked questions
When is St. Patrick's Day 2028?
St. Patrick's Day 2028 is on Friday, March 17, 2028.
Is St. Patrick's Day always on March 17?
The date is always March 17, but some celebrations move. New York's parade is not held on Sundays, so when March 17 is a Sunday it marches on Saturday, March 16. When March 17 falls in Holy Week the church feast moves too: in 2008 Ireland's bishops observed it on March 15.
Can Catholics eat meat on St. Patrick's Day?
Usually yes. When March 17 falls on a Friday in Lent, the Friday abstinence from meat applies unless the local bishop grants a dispensation; in 2023, most US dioceses granted one or allowed a substitute penance.