Many Kiwis have Irish heritage, so there’s no excuse for lacklustre St Patrick’s Day celebrations in New Zealand. In fact, 20% of us claim to have Irish blood flowing in our veins, so New Zealand should be awash with green on the 17th March for this annual celebration of all things Irish.

St Patrick’s Day History
A popular Christian saint, St Patrick is famous for driving snakes from Ireland. While it’s true there are no snakes in Ireland today, it’s doubtful that there ever were! The snake myth may have been a metaphor for the driving of paganism from the land, as St Patrick was credited with bringing Christianity to the green isle. The day is largely non-religious today, but was originally saint’s feast day and was also thought to mark the day of St Patrick’s death.

St Patrick’s Day events and activities
As Ireland’s national day, St Patrick’s Day is a cause for celebrations and festivities not only in Ireland, but around the world too. This day is quite possibly the most internationally celebrated national day in the world. Join in the festivities:

• Grab a pint at an Irish Bar
• Visit your local Irish Society
• Enjoy a bite of Irish fare
• Attend a St Patrick’s day parade or festival

Get more St Patricks Day events online.