St Patrick's Day 2022: When is St Patrick's Day, why is it celebrated, who is St Patrick and how to say Happy St Patrick's Day in Irish Gaelic

With the national holiday of Ireland only a few weeks away, many people will be digging out their best green clothing and novelty hats to prepare for the event.

St Patrick's Day commemorates the anniversary of the death of St Patrick in the fifth century and every year, parades take place all over the world for the Irish holiday.

Here's is everything you need to know about St Patrick's Day 2022:

When is St Patrick's Day?

St Patrick's Day takes place annually on March 17.

The day only became a national holiday in Ireland back in 1903 and the event is also a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.

When did the tradition begin?

There are many debates over the origin of St Patrick's Day.

Some argue that the first parade was held in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737, while others claim that the first parade was actually held in New York in 1762.

According to History, the first recorded St Patrick’s Day parade was held in Florida on March 17, 1601.

Why do we celebrate St Patrick's Day?

St Patrick's Day celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick.

According to the myth, St Patrick was kidnapped in the fifth century and brought over to Ireland at 16 years old.

The patron is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland as he allegedly explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a shamrock.

St Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world due to Ireland's mass historical emigration.

Two million people were forced to leave the country between 1845 and 1854 due to the potato famine.

Many Irish people travelled to the UK, Canada, and the United States where they continued to celebrate the holiday.

In the UK, The Queen Mother would present bowls of Shamrock from Ireland to members of the Irish Guards in the British Army.

The tradition has continued over the years, with the Irish Guards still wearing the symbol of Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

The annual St Patrick’s Day festival will take place on Sunday, March 13 this year in Trafalgar Square, London.

Now in its 19th year, the event is expecting to see more than 500,000 people join the annual procession of Irish marching bands, dance troupes, and pageantry.

The event is free to attend and it will take place between 12pm and 6pm.

SEE ALSO: When is Easter 2022?

How to say Happy St Patrick's Day in Irish Gaelic

The most common way to wish someone 'Happy St Patrick's Day' in Irish is to say 'Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit'.

Phonetically, the expression is 'lah leh PAH-drig Sun-uh gwitch'.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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