St. Patrick’s Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2027. It is not a federal holiday in the United States. It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland.
The Wednesday date resolves a conflict that recurs in other years. March 17, 2027 falls inside Lent, which runs from Ash Wednesday on February 10 to late March — but because it lands on a Wednesday rather than a Friday, the Lenten obligation to abstain from meat does not apply that day.
In years where March 17 falls on a Friday, Catholic bishops routinely grant dispensations so that traditional celebrations can proceed, and those dispensations are issued diocese by diocese rather than nationally.
Table of Contents
When is St. Patrick’s Day 2027?
Wednesday, March 17, 2027. The date is fixed and never moves.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, March 17, 2027 |
| Rule | Fixed date, March 17 |
| US federal holiday | No |
| Irish public holiday | Yes |
| Falls within Lent | Yes — Lent runs February 10 to March 25 or 27 |
| Friday abstinence conflict | No, it is a Wednesday |
| Marks | Traditional death date of Saint Patrick, around 461 AD |
St. Patrick’s Day 2027 closures
| Institution | Wednesday, March 17, 2027 |
|---|---|
| US federal offices | Open |
| US banks and Federal Reserve | Open |
| U.S. Postal Service | Normal delivery |
| NYSE and Nasdaq | Open, normal trading |
| US state offices | Open in every state |
| Republic of Ireland | Public holiday, closed |
| Northern Ireland | Bank holiday, closed |
| US bars and restaurants | Open, extended hours in many cities |
St. Patrick’s Day is not a public holiday anywhere in the United States, despite the scale of the celebrations.
Suffolk County, Massachusetts observes Evacuation Day on March 17, which closes some county offices in Boston — a separate holiday that happens to share the date, commemorating the British withdrawal from Boston in 1776.
The parades are not always on March 17
Major American parades are frequently scheduled for the nearest weekend rather than the day itself, which matters when March 17 falls midweek as it does in 2027.
| City | Typical scheduling |
|---|---|
| New York | March 17, unless it falls on a Sunday |
| Boston | The Sunday nearest March 17 |
| Chicago | The Saturday before March 17; river dyed the same morning |
| Savannah | March 17, unless it falls on a Sunday |
Confirm with the organising committee rather than assuming the parade is on the date. For 2027, with March 17 on a Wednesday, expect most weekend-scheduled parades on Saturday, March 13 or Sunday, March 14.
Note that Sunday, March 14, 2027 is already crowded — it is Selection Sunday, the 99th Academy Awards, and the day daylight saving time begins.
What St. Patrick’s Day commemorates
March 17 is the traditional date of Saint Patrick’s death, generally placed around 461 AD.
He was a fifth-century Romano-British missionary and bishop credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, and is one of its patron saints.
The feast was placed on the universal Church calendar in the early seventeenth century.
The parade tradition is American rather than Irish in origin, beginning with Irish soldiers serving in the British army in colonial cities during the eighteenth century.
Ireland made March 17 a public holiday in 1903. The Republic’s celebration was for much of the twentieth century a religious and civic occasion; the large-scale festival in Dublin dates only to 1996.
St. Patrick’s Day dates 2025 to 2032
| Year | March 17 falls on | Inside Lent | Friday conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Monday | Yes | No |
| 2026 | Tuesday | Yes | No |
| 2027 | Wednesday | Yes | No |
| 2028 | Friday | Yes | Yes |
| 2029 | Saturday | Yes | No |
| 2030 | Sunday | Yes | No |
| 2031 | Monday | Yes | No |
| 2032 | Wednesday | Yes | No |
2028 is the year to watch: March 17 falls on a Friday inside Lent, and dioceses will decide individually whether to dispense from the abstinence obligation.
March 17 falls inside Lent in every one of these years, because Lent always covers the second half of March under any Easter date.
What St. Patrick’s Day 2027 is not
It is not a federal holiday in the United States, and no state observes it. Federal offices, banks, the postal service and the markets all operate normally.
It is not on a moveable date. March 17 is fixed and does not shift for the weekend.
It is not a Friday in 2027, so the Lenten abstinence rule does not apply and no dispensation is needed. That question belongs to 2028.
Evacuation Day in Suffolk County, Massachusetts is a separate holiday that shares the date.
It commemorates the British withdrawal from Boston in 1776, not Saint Patrick.
Frequently asked questions
What day is St. Patrick’s Day 2027?
Wednesday, March 17, 2027. The date is fixed to March 17 in every year and never moves. It is a public holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland but not in the United States.
Is St. Patrick’s Day a federal holiday?
No. It appears nowhere in 5 U.S.C. 6103 and closes nothing in the United States. Federal offices, banks, the postal service and the stock exchanges all operate normally on Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
Can Catholics eat meat on St. Patrick’s Day 2027?
Yes. March 17, 2027 falls on a Wednesday, and the Lenten abstinence obligation binds only on Fridays and on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday 2027 was February 10, so no restriction applies on March 17. The question arises in years like 2028, when March 17 falls on a Friday and individual dioceses decide whether to grant a dispensation.
