Next: 17 Mar 2027
St Patrick's Day
Green clothes, green shamrock, green rivers and green lights around the world for Ireland’s patron saint.
The colours of St Patrick's Day
On 17 March Ireland and the Irish abroad honour St Patrick. Green is worn everywhere, with a sprig of shamrock, the three-leaved plant the saint is said to have used to explain the Trinity. Green was not always the colour: a sky blue called St Patrick's blue was linked with the saint and with Ireland in the eighteenth century, and is still used on the presidential standard. Green rose with the shamrock and with Irish nationalism from the 1790s, when wearing it was a political act. Today Chicago dyes its river green, and landmarks around the world are lit green for the night. The Irish tricolour adds white and orange, the orange for Irish Protestants, with white for peace between the two.
#169B62Shamrock greenThe plant of the saint, and the green of the flag.#3C7DC4St Patrick’s blueThe older colour linked to the saint.#FF883ETricolour orangeThe third band of the Irish flag.#FFFFFFPeace whiteThe middle band of the flag.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Saint Patrick's Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.