St. Patrick's Day in the US
A very famous celebration in the US. It is an especially famous holiday among Irish Americans. The holiday is always celebrated on March 17th. It celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, who died on March 17th, 492. Many Americans celebrate the holiday by dressing in green and drinking with friends.
St. Patrick is from Roman Britain. He was kidnapped and carried to Ireland by pagans. He used the three-leaf clover as a symbol to spread Christianity. This is one of the big reasons that the three-leaf clover became the symbol of Ireland. Later in his life built schools and churches for the people of Ireland.
Though the holiday has religious roots it is mostly celebrated in the US with parades and drinking celebrations of Irish culture and heritage. Children during this holiday focus on the aspect of wearing green. In many schools, kids will play a game on St. Patrick's where if someone isn't wearing green then you pinch them.