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Celebrating St. Patrick

Explore photos from Croagh Patrick, where a statue marks the spot Saint Patrick was said to have fasted for 40 days.

Today is March 17! Are you wearing green? If not, you may be wondering why you’re receiving confused or disapproving looks from people on the street.

This day marks Saint Patrick’s Day, and those in the St. Paddy’s spirit—particularly the Irish and people of Irish descent around the world—are donning their finest green clothing to honor the 5th Century saint.

Credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, Saint Patrick is the most widely known of Ireland’s saints. Since an annual feast honoring Saint Patrick was established by the Catholic Church in the 1600s, festivities have evolved to include parades, alcoholic indulgence, and even dying the Chicago River green.

Share photos from your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and explore others’ photos, through the #stpatricksday hashtag.

Photos: St. Patrick’s Day

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This past Saturday, green-wearing, shamrock-rocking St. Patrick’s day celebrants flooded streets and bars around the world. The first Feast of St. Patrick in the 1600s honored the patron saint of Ireland and the arrival of Christianity in the country. Since then, the holiday has morphed into a celebration of Irish culture world round with particularly enthusiastic hubs of ex-pats in the United States, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.

To view more photos of St. Patrick’s day celebrations, search the hashtag #stpatricksday.

Photos by @titolin1, @buffalony, @shannonbanannan, @allenchoo, @pirotman80, @bisyar, @kthd, @bryvrgs, @erickapeace, @ilukina and @crookedflight.