As Catholics, we celebrate the saints for their heroic witness to our Christian Faith. Each saint has a day on the Church calendar, which typically falls on the date of death, known as their dies natalis, “heavenly birthday.” These are days for merriment, meant for taking a break from the austerities typical to the Christian life, which is why they are known as “feasts.”
St. Patrick’s Day has an outsized influence in popular culture because of the large Irish diaspora spread across the globe. As the saying goes: “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.” Celebrations in honor of Ireland’s patron saint are characterized by great festivity with parades, the playing of bagpipes, traditional dance, the wearing of green, and time in the pub.
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