St Patrick's Day in Australia

St. Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of St. Patrick, is a religious and cultural event being remembered in most of the countries around the globe. Being the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is considered a holiday where big celebrations and big events are organized to pay honour to the saint. In Australia, St. Patrick’s Day is being remembered as well by Australian Christians and locals. It may be not a public holiday in Australia, but since St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated events and it is one of the country’s busiest days. St. Patrick’s Day fall on the 17th of March.

The History of St. Patrick’s Day in Australia

In the late 1700’s, there was a surge of Ireland nationals settling in Australia. These Irish settlers left their own land to escape the wrath of famine. Almost 300,000 Irish settlers found a home in Australia, and that is the reason why most Australians have Irish ancestry.  Because of the great number of Irish that settled in Australia, the country has learned to adopt Irish culture and traditions, one of which is the celebration of the Feast of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. Little is known in the life of St. Patrick, but he is believed to be a Romano-British national that served missionary works in Ireland.

How St. Patrick’s Day is Celebrated in Australia

St. Patrick’s Day is not an official public holiday in Australia, so government departments and public offices are open during this day. Even if St. Patrick’s Day is not a holiday, the people here hold events that are associated with the Feast of St. Patrick. For instance, Christians would arrange parades and motorcades in the streets carrying the image of St. Patrick. The traffic is not affected despite some St. Patrick Day celebrations held in the streets. In the social scene, establishments with Irish theme, or the ones that are run, managed, or owned by Irish such as pubs, restaurants, and bars become busy during St. Patrick’s Day. This is because for the Irish, it is the best time to mingle and catch-up with friends and families over sumptuous Irish food and delightful drinks.

St. Patrick’s Symbols

The colour green has always been associated with St. Patrick. Some people prefer to wear colour green during the Feast of St. Patrick. The shamrock also symbolizes St. Patrick’s Day since he used this plant while doing missionary works.  In Australia, many people also wear green ribbons, green brooches in the shape of a shamrock to show that they pay high regards to St. Patrick and his feast day. The flag of Ireland is also seen displayed in major thoroughfares of Australia on St. Patrick’s Day.