What is "saint patrick's day"

Saint \Saint\ (s[=a]nt), n. [F., fr. L. sanctus sacred, properly p. p. of sancire to render sacred by a religious act, to appoint as sacred; akin to sacer sacred. Cf. Sacred, Sanctity, Sanctum, Sanctus.]

1. A person sanctified; a holy or godly person; one eminent for piety and virtue; any true Christian, as being redeemed and consecrated to God.

   Them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.
   --1 Cor. i.

2. 2. One of the blessed in heaven.

   Then shall thy saints, unmixed, and from the impure Far separate, circling thy holy mount, Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee sing.
   --Milton.

3. (Eccl.) One canonized by the church. [Abbrev. St.] Saint Andrew's cross.

   1. A cross shaped like the letter X. See Illust. 4, under Cross.

   2. (Bot.) A low North American shrub ( Ascyrum Crux-Andre[ae], the petals of which have the form of a Saint Andrew's cross.
      --Gray.

      Saint Anthony's cross, a T-shaped cross. See Illust. 6, under Cross.

      Saint Anthony's fire, the erysipelas; -- popularly so called because it was supposed to have been cured by the intercession of Saint Anthony.

      Saint Anthony's nut (Bot.), the groundnut ( Bunium flexuosum); -- so called because swine feed on it, and St. Anthony was once a swineherd.
      --Dr. Prior.

      Saint Anthony's turnip (Bot.), the bulbous crowfoot, a favorite food of swine.
      --Dr. Prior.

      Saint Barnaby's thistle (Bot.), a kind of knapweed ( Centaurea solstitialis) flowering on St. Barnabas's Day, June 11th.
      --Dr. Prior.

      Saint Bernard (Zo["o]l.), a breed of large, handsome dogs celebrated for strength and sagacity, formerly bred chiefly at the Hospice of St. Bernard in Switzerland, but now common in Europe and America. There are two races, the smooth-haired and the rough-haired. See Illust. under Dog.

      Saint Catharine's flower (Bot.), the plant love-in-a-mist. See under Love.

      Saint Cuthbert's beads (Paleon.), the fossil joints of crinoid stems.

      Saint Dabeoc's heath (Bot.), a heatherlike plant ( Dab[oe]cia polifolia), named from an Irish saint.

      Saint Distaff's Day. See under Distaff.

      Saint Elmo's fire, a luminous, flamelike appearance, sometimes seen in dark, tempestuous nights, at some prominent point on a ship, particularly at the masthead and the yardarms. It has also been observed on land, and is due to the discharge of electricity from elevated or pointed objects. A single flame is called a Helena, or a Corposant; a double, or twin, flame is called a Castor and Pollux, or a double Corposant. It takes its name from St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors.

      Saint George's cross (Her.), a Greek cross gules upon a field argent, the field being represented by a narrow fimbriation in the ensign, or union jack, of Great Britain.

      Saint George's ensign, a red cross on a white field with a union jack in the upper corner next the mast. It is the distinguishing badge of ships of the royal navy of England; -- called also the white ensign.
      --Brande & C.

      Saint George's flag, a smaller flag resembling the ensign, but without the union jack; used as the sign of the presence and command of an admiral. [Eng.]
      --Brande & C.

      Saint Gobain glass (Chem.), a fine variety of soda-lime plate glass, so called from St. Gobain in France, where it was manufactured.

      Saint Ignatius's bean (Bot.), the seed of a tree of the Philippines ( Strychnos Ignatia), of properties similar to the nux vomica.

      Saint James's shell (Zo["o]l.), a pecten ( Vola Jacob[ae]us) worn by pilgrims to the Holy Land. See Illust. under Scallop.

      Saint James's-wort (Bot.), a kind of ragwort ( Senecio Jacob[ae]a).

      Saint John's bread. (Bot.) See Carob.

      Saint John's-wort (Bot.), any plant of the genus Hypericum, most species of which have yellow flowers; -- called also John's-wort.

      Saint Leger, the name of a race for three-year-old horses run annually in September at Doncaster, England; -- instituted in 1776 by Col. St. Leger.

      Saint Martin's herb (Bot.), a small tropical American violaceous plant ( Sauvagesia erecta). It is very mucilaginous and is used in medicine.

      Saint Martin's summer, a season of mild, damp weather frequently prevailing during late autumn in England and the Mediterranean countries; -- so called from St. Martin's Festival, occurring on November 11. It corresponds to the Indian summer in America.
      --Shak.
      --Whittier.

      Saint Patrick's cross. See Illust. 4, under Cross.

      Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th of March, anniversary of the death (about 466) of St. Patrick, the apostle and patron saint of Ireland.

      Saint Peter's fish. (Zo["o]l.) See John Dory, under John.

      Saint Peter's-wort (Bot.), a name of several plants, as Hypericum Ascyron, H. quadrangulum, Ascyrum stans, etc.

      Saint Peter's wreath (Bot.), a shrubby kind of Spir[ae]a ( S. hypericifolia), having long slender branches covered with clusters of small white blossoms in spring.

      Saint's bell. See Sanctus bell, under Sanctus.

      Saint Vitus's dance (Med.), chorea; -- so called from the supposed cures wrought on intercession to this saint.

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick"), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick ( AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. In recent years, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialized and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish.