On this day in 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, a Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, died. So on March 17th, every year it’s time to turn everything green so that the Irish and the Irish-at-heart can celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
All over the world, what began as a religious feast for this patron saint of Ireland, has now become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with special foods, dancing, parades and a whole lot of green. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City, in America in 1762, and not in Ireland, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through the city. Then in 1995 the Irish government set about with a large global marketing campaign to celebrate Irish charms to the rest of the world. It’s success can now be seen with the huge celebrations we see around the world
