Is St. Patrick’s Day A Christian Holiday?
Biblical Authority Ministries, March 17, 2026 (Donate)
Introduction
Today is St. Patrick’s Day in the USA (and of course,
Ireland). It is day to remember St. Patrick who was a Christian missionary who brought
Christianity to the Island of Ireland. We know a lot about St. Patrick and what
happened to him because he wrote about it in his writings, like his book “Confession”.
With so many citizens of America having Irish descent, St.
Patrick’s Day is almost like an Irish heritage festival! I have Irish on
my mother’s side of the family. So, I feel a bit accustomed to this particular day.
The History Of St. Patrick
The historical Saint Patrick is far different from the later
legends often associated with him. Patrick was born in the late 4th or
early 5th century in Roman Britain, likely around AD 385–390, into a
nominally Christian family.
Earliest Surviving Depiction of St. Patrick is Years about
300-400 years after in the Book of Armagh (c. AD 807).
His father was a deacon, but Patrick himself was not
particularly devout as a youth. Around age sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish
raiders and taken to Ireland as
a slave. There, he was forced to tend sheep. During this difficult time, he
turned seriously to God, spending much time in prayer—in one sense, he probably
felt a lot like Joseph.
After about six years, Patrick escaped. He returned to
Britain and was eventually reunited with his family. Later, he, after he had
grown in faith
with Jesus
Christ, sensed a strong calling to return to Ireland—not as a slave, but as
a missionary to the people who had once enslaved him.
Patrick received some level of Christian
training and was sent back to Ireland as a missionary. His work focused on
preaching the gospel, teaching Scripture, and calling people to repentance and
faith in Christ. Over time, many Irish people were converted, and churches were
established. If you want to know more about how the Irish go back to Babel and
Noah please see: The
Tower of Babel).
Contrary to popular myths, there is no reliable historical
evidence that Patrick drove snakes out of Ireland. Likewise, while he is often
associated with the shamrock to explain the Trinity, this is a later tradition
and also not found in his own writings.
The most reliable sources about Patrick come from his own literature,
particularly his “Confession” and “Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus.” These books show a lot
about his humility, his dependence on God, and his desire to proclaim the Gospel
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
From this perspective, Patrick should be remembered as a
real historical missionary who endured hardship, trusted God, and faithfully
preached the gospel in Ireland. This is
likely the reason he was honored in a holiday of his own by those who respected
and knew what He did.
God Given Freedom
Man is made in the image of holiday-making God. We sometimes
forget that God and His Word is the basis for holidays (holy days) in the
first place.
God set aside certain holidays—feasts and festivals—in the Old
Testament. Even from the beginning of Creation, God set aside the seventh day
as holy (Genesis 2:1-2:3), and we still honor that as part of our weekly
weekend celebration. Yes, even weekends are Christian holidays (Sabbath and the Lord’s Day).
Being creative, man often develops new holidays, mimicking what
God did. In the Old Testament, the Jews came up with the festival of dedication/lights
(Hannukah) which was an intertestamental holiday.
Jesus shows us the freedom and liberty we have to celebrate such
a day, when He attended this festival at the Temple as recorded in the book of
John.
Now it was the Feast of Dedication
in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s
porch. (John 10:22-23, NKJV)
So, developing new holidays, whether St. Patrick’s Day, St. Nicholas’s Day (December 6), or Christmas is merely man emulating what God did
and the hope is to glorify God in these celebrations.
Sadly, many secularists and unbelievers warp these holidays
and paganize them and turn them into unholy events. To this, I suggest we pray
for them and gently share and educate those about the truth of God, His Word, people like St. Patrick, and
the Gospel during these times.
The Shamrock and the Trinity
The commonly repeated story that Saint Patrick used a clover
(shamrock) to explain the Trinity is considered historically doubtful and…theologically
misleading. (Yes, I love the Lutheran Satire piece here!)
Historically, Patrick’s own writings—such as his Confession—never
mention a shamrock (three leaf clover). The story appears centuries later in
tradition, not in reliable early sources.
Theologically, the illustration itself can be problematic.
Using one clover with three leaves leads to the idea that each leaf is only part of
God, which is the error of partialism—the idea that the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit are each one-third of God rather than each being fully God.
Scripture teaches that the three Persons are distinct yet each fully and
equally God, not divided into parts.
So the “error” is not something Patrick himself taught, but
a later illustration that can unintentionally misrepresent the biblical
doctrine of the Trinity.
Development Of The Holiday
The development of Saint Patrick's Day as a
recognized holiday happened in stages.
In Ireland
The day began as a religious feast day honoring Saint Patrick. It was observed by the Catholic Church by around the early 17th century (formally placed on March 17, the traditional date of Patrick’s death). For centuries, it remained primarily a solemn religious occasion marked by church services.
It did not become a public, celebratory national holiday in
Ireland until much later—officially recognized as a public holiday in 1903
under British rule (Bank Holiday Act for Ireland).
In The USA
Interestingly, public celebrations came early and were very festive.
Irish immigrants in America were known to be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the 18th
century. One of the earliest recorded civic celebrations was in Boston in 1737,
followed by New York City’s parade in 1762. These events were less about church
observance and more about Irish identity.
However, in more recent times, old historical documents in
Spanish show that St. Augustine, Florida was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day around
1601—over 100 years earlier.[1]
But one must remember that Florida territory did not become USA territory until
1822, so there is that matter as well.
In the USA, St. Patrick’s Day is not an official Federal
holiday (e.g., school closures, post office closures, etc.). However, Massachusetts
and Georgia recognize it as a state holiday. Most other states simply treat it
as an unofficial holiday.
Conclusion
St. Patrick was a wonderful Christian missionary who spread the gospel to Ireland. March 17, is the day he allegedly died, and is the day that is celebrated in various parts of the world to remember his Christian work.
Much of the modern St. Patrick’s Day
has become a Irish heritage celebration. In the past, people wore green to represent
Catholicism and orange to represent Protestantism. Both colors appear on the
Irish flag. Today, it has become more about heritage to wear green and orange on St.
Patrick’s Day regardless.
But let’s not forget Christ, the very reason Patrick was moved to become a missionary that change an entire prominent island for God. So in this sense, St. Patrick's Day is essentially a Christian holiday.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
[1] Frances
Mulraney, Where is the oldest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the world?, Irish Central,
2018 (and updated March 14, 2026), https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/oldest-st-patricks-day-world.
