St Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, in honour of the patron saint of Ireland.
Symbols
The most common St.Patrick's Day symbol is the shamrock. The shamrock is the leaf of the clover plant and a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Other symbols include:
- Almost anything green
- The green, orange and white flag of the Republic of Ireland.
Religious symbols include snakes and serpents.
Other symbols seen on St.Parrick's Day include the harp, which was used in Ireland for centuries, as well as the leprechaun and a pot of gold that it hides.
St.Patrick's Day is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
As part of a fifty year old Chicago tradition, the Chicago River is dyed green in observance of St.Patrick's Day. Around 45 pounds(20.4 kg) of powdered vegetable dye is poured into the river. This tradition attracts thousands of people.
