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| Boilerpipe Text | March 17 began as a
feast day
in observance of St. Patrick, the
patron saint
of Ireland. Over time, the holiday evolved into a
secular
celebration of Irish
culture
, green beer, and anything with a shamrock on it. Irish immigrants to the
United States
were largely responsible for the transition, and in the 21st century, the
holiday
was associated more often with pub crawls and parades led by local politicians than with its religious traditions.
St. Patrick’s Day looms largest in the American cultural landscape, and there it takes its place alongside the celebrations of other immigrant
communities
. In Ireland, the holiday is celebrated primarily as a
concession
to tourists, although that country’s overwhelmingly
Roman Catholic
population does preserve its religious traditions.
Learn More About This Topic
AI-generated answers
from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. | |||||||||||||||
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[](https://cdn.britannica.com/60/189060-050-B5373CDE/Sydney-Australia-crowds-parade-St-Patricks-Day-March-17.jpg)
[St. Patrick's Day](https://cdn.britannica.com/60/189060-050-B5373CDE/Sydney-Australia-crowds-parade-St-Patricks-Day-March-17.jpg) Spectators waiting in anticipation for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Sydney, March 21, 2010.
(more)
# St. Patrick’s Day
What started as a feast day for a Roman Catholic saint is now a celebration of all things tangentially associated with Ireland.
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[Michael Ray Michael Ray is an assistant managing editor who has worked at Britannica since 2003. In addition to leading the Geography and History team, he oversees coverage of European history and military affairs....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/Michael-Ray/6392)
Michael Ray
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[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)
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 Britannica AI
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March 17 began as a [feast day](https://www.britannica.com/topic/feast-religion) in observance of St. Patrick, the [patron saint](https://www.britannica.com/topic/patron-saint) of Ireland. Over time, the holiday evolved into a [secular](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular) celebration of Irish [culture](https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture), green beer, and anything with a shamrock on it. Irish immigrants to the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) were largely responsible for the transition, and in the 21st century, the [holiday](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day) was associated more often with pub crawls and parades led by local politicians than with its religious traditions.
Related Topics:
[St. Patrick’s Day](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day)
*(Show more)*
[See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/st-patricks-day)
St. Patrick’s Day looms largest in the American cultural landscape, and there it takes its place alongside the celebrations of other immigrant [communities](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communities). In Ireland, the holiday is celebrated primarily as a [concession](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concession) to tourists, although that country’s overwhelmingly [Roman Catholic](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism) population does preserve its religious traditions.
## Learn More About This Topic
1. [Who was St. Patrick?](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick)
2. [What other international holiday has also become a popular drinking occasion in the U.S.?](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cinco-de-Mayo)
3. [What Irish company will see more than 13 million pints of its product imbibed on St. Patrick’s Day?](https://www.britannica.com/money/Guinness)
[Michael Ray](https://www.britannica.com/editor/Michael-Ray/6392)
Britannica AI
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St. Patrick’s Day
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[AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
[Why Do People Eat Corned Beef on St. Patrick’s Day?](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day)
- [Introduction](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day)
- [Fun fact](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day#ref474106)
[References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day/additional-info) [Related Topics](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day)
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[](https://cdn.britannica.com/24/236424-050-807F4B10/butcher-beef-briskets-corned-beef-Vienna-Beef-factory-2006-Chicago-Illinois.jpg)
[](https://www.britannica.com/video/Heritage-Gourmet-cooking-demonstration-history-culture-Irish-soda-bread/-253419)

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[St. Patrick's Day supply of corned beef](https://cdn.britannica.com/24/236424-050-807F4B10/butcher-beef-briskets-corned-beef-Vienna-Beef-factory-2006-Chicago-Illinois.jpg) A butcher trimming beef briskets for corned beef at the Vienna Beef factory in Chicago, March 15, 2006.
(more)
# Why Do People Eat Corned Beef on St. Patrick’s Day?
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[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)
Britannica Editors
Last updated
Mar. 11, 2026
•[History](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day/additional-info#history)
 Britannica AI
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Every year on [St. Patrick’s Day](https://www.britannica.com/story/st-patricks-day), Americans of all backgrounds celebrate [Ireland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Ireland)’s [patron saint](https://www.britannica.com/topic/patron-saint) by eating [corned beef](https://www.britannica.com/topic/corned-beef) and [cabbage](https://www.britannica.com/plant/Brassica-oleracea). The [culinary](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/culinary) pairing is as much a holiday tradition as parades, [Guinness](https://www.britannica.com/money/Guinness), and the color green. Understandably, many people assume that this food tradition comes from Ireland. In reality, eating corned beef on March 17 is about as American as eating apple pie.
Although corned beef was not unknown in Ireland historically speaking, we have 19th-century immigrants to thank for its modern popularity. It was the Irish [diaspora](https://www.britannica.com/topic/diaspora-social-science), particularly in the United States, who adopted it in their new homelands. [Beef](https://www.britannica.com/topic/beef) has historically been relatively scarce in Ireland, and, as a measure of wealth in ancient Irish society, it was not widely eaten because it was prohibitively expensive. A St. Patrick’s Day meal was instead likely to involve Irish [bacon](https://www.britannica.com/topic/bacon), a kind of [ham](https://www.britannica.com/topic/ham-meat), in a culinary culture that favored [pork](https://www.britannica.com/topic/pork) over other [meats](https://www.britannica.com/topic/meat).
[](https://www.britannica.com/video/Heritage-Gourmet-cooking-demonstration-history-culture-Irish-soda-bread/-253419)
How to Make Irish Soda BreadWhat's the history of this traditional Irish dish?
(more)
[See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day/images-videos)
In the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), however, Irish immigrants found that beef was [abundant](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/abundant) and inexpensive, and they also discovered that their [Jewish](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism) neighbors in New York and other cities with significant immigrant populations ate corned beef. Notably, its texture is similar to that of Irish bacon. In addition, the food was typically eaten with the eastern European staples of cabbage and [potatoes](https://www.britannica.com/plant/potato), which were also staples of Irish cooking. In time, the connection between Irish consumers and [kosher](https://www.britannica.com/topic/kosher) butchers and the ready availability of beef both helped make corned beef an Irish American tradition.
Related Topics:
[corned beef](https://www.britannica.com/topic/corned-beef)
[St. Patrick’s Day](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day)
*(Show more)*
[See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Why-Do-People-Eat-Corned-Beef-on-St-Patricks-Day)
## Fun fact
Just how popular is corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day? According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, nearly 70 percent of all sales in volume of corned beef in the United States occur during the four weeks surrounding the holiday.
Learn More
[](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-We-Wear-Green-on-St-Patricks-Day)
[Why Do We Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day?](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-We-Wear-Green-on-St-Patricks-Day)
[](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Irish-language)
[CĂşpla Focal: Learn a Few Words of the Irish Language](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Irish-language)
[](https://www.britannica.com/story/the-mold-that-wrecked-ireland)
[The Mold that Wrecked Ireland](https://www.britannica.com/story/the-mold-that-wrecked-ireland)
[](https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-whiskey-and-whisky-what-about-scotch-bourbon-and-rye)
[Water of Life: What’s the Difference Between Whiskey and Whisky?](https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-whiskey-and-whisky-what-about-scotch-bourbon-and-rye)
[](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Is-St-Patricks-Day-Celebrated-on-March-17th)
[Why Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated on March 17th?](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Is-St-Patricks-Day-Celebrated-on-March-17th)
[](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick)
[All About St. Patrick: The Apostle of Ireland](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick)
[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)This article was most recently revised and updated by [René Ostberg](https://www.britannica.com/editor/rene-ostberg/12853185).
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| Readable Markdown | March 17 began as a [feast day](https://www.britannica.com/topic/feast-religion) in observance of St. Patrick, the [patron saint](https://www.britannica.com/topic/patron-saint) of Ireland. Over time, the holiday evolved into a [secular](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular) celebration of Irish [culture](https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture), green beer, and anything with a shamrock on it. Irish immigrants to the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) were largely responsible for the transition, and in the 21st century, the [holiday](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day) was associated more often with pub crawls and parades led by local politicians than with its religious traditions.
St. Patrick’s Day looms largest in the American cultural landscape, and there it takes its place alongside the celebrations of other immigrant [communities](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communities). In Ireland, the holiday is celebrated primarily as a [concession](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concession) to tourists, although that country’s overwhelmingly [Roman Catholic](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism) population does preserve its religious traditions.
## Learn More About This Topic
[AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. | |||||||||||||||
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