Saint Patrick's Day 2027
Saint Patrick's Day 2027 is on Wednesday, March 17, 2027 (in 156 days). It is celebrated every year on March 17 and is not a federal holiday.
- Date
- Wednesday, March 17, 2027
- Countdown
- In 156 days
- Federal holiday
- No
- Date rule
- March 17 (fixed date)
- Possible dates
- Always March 17; only the weekday changes
- Next occurrence
- Friday, March 17, 2028
Saint Patrick's Day dates by year
| Year | Date | Weekday | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | March 17, 2026 | Tuesday | 209 days ago |
| 2027 | March 17, 2027 | Wednesday | in 156 days |
| 2028 | March 17, 2028 | Friday | in 17 months |
| 2029 | March 17, 2029 | Saturday | in 2 years |
| 2030 | March 17, 2030 | Sunday | in 3 years |
| 2031 | March 17, 2031 | Monday | in 4 years |
| 2032 | March 17, 2032 | Wednesday | in 5 years |
| 2033 | March 17, 2033 | Thursday | in 6 years |
| 2034 | March 17, 2034 | Friday | in 7 years |
| 2035 | March 17, 2035 | Saturday | in 8 years |
Dates are calculated from the rule shown above, not copied from a list, so they stay correct for any year. See everything else happening that month in the calendar for March 2027.
The date of Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is fixed on March 17, the traditional anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Only the weekday changes from year to year. Because Ash Wednesday is never later than March 10 and Easter is never earlier than March 22, the day always falls during Lent. In 2028 it is on Friday, March 17, 2028.
Saint Patrick's Day in America
The Charitable Irish Society of Boston held a celebration in 1737, and New York City's famous annual parade traces its history to marches by Irish soldiers in the British army in the 1760s, and the parade organizers date the first one to March 17, 1762. Savannah, Georgia, has held a parade since 1824. Since 1962 the Chicago River has been dyed green around the holiday.
A holiday in parts of Massachusetts
March 17 is also Evacuation Day in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which includes Boston. It commemorates the day in 1776 when British troops left Boston, and it is a local legal holiday there. This calendar lists Evacuation Day among the state holidays on the same date. Elsewhere in the country, Saint Patrick's Day is not a day off, and offices and schools stay open.
Customs and symbols
Green is the color of the day, and a folk custom says that people who do not wear green may be pinched. The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland, and legend says that Saint Patrick used its three leaves to explain the Trinity. Corned beef and cabbage, now a classic meal on the day, is an Irish American dish: in Ireland itself, bacon was the traditional meat, and Irish immigrants in American cities found corned beef cheaper. More than 30 million Americans report Irish ancestry in Census Bureau surveys.
In Ireland
In Ireland, March 17 is a public holiday and a religious feast day. Pubs were required by law to close on Saint Patrick's Day until the early 1960s, and Dublin held its first official parade in 1931. Today the Saint Patrick's Festival in Dublin runs for several days around the holiday. The New York City parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world, has no floats or cars, and only marchers and bands take part.
Frequently asked questions about Saint Patrick's Day
When is Saint Patrick's Day 2027?
Saint Patrick's Day 2027 is on Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
When is Saint Patrick's Day 2028?
Saint Patrick's Day 2028 is on Friday, March 17, 2028.
Is Saint Patrick's Day a federal holiday?
No. It is not a federal or state holiday. Suffolk County, Massachusetts, observes Evacuation Day on March 17.
Is it St. Paddy's Day or St. Patty's Day?
"Paddy" is the usual short form of the Irish name Pádraig, while "Patty" is a nickname for Patricia, so Irish speakers prefer "Paddy".
Does Saint Patrick's Day fall in Lent?
Yes. March 17 is always between Ash Wednesday and Easter. When it falls on a Friday in Lent, some bishops grant a dispensation from the usual Friday abstinence from meat.