Can You Break Lent on St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick’s Day is annually celebrated on March 17—this year, that date so happens to fall on a Friday during the season of Lent. As we mentioned before, Christians are expected to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. So are you allowed to eat corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day this year? St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17th, falls squarely within Lent nearly every year. But here’s where it gets interesting: because St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland , his feast day is officially recognized in the Catholic liturgical calendar — which often makes it an exception to the rule . Drinking on St Patrick's Day during Lent In 2019, RTE reported: "Usually occurring in the middle of Lent, St Patrick’s Day was considered a welcome break from fasting for Catholics to enjoy meat What to do if St Patrick's Day falls on a Friday during Lent. Growing up in Ireland, St Patrickʼs Day was always a welcome reprieve from Lent, one day when depending on how concerned your parents were about your soul, you would be allowed to break the promise to give up candy, chocolate, or chips for just 24 hours. And just like that, all Washington Catholics, and all Catholics in Washington, are dispensed from the Friday abstinence on St. Patrick’s Day. Eat up, Washingtonians. Subscribe Now. A far less textbook example, but a pretty interesting one, is the dispensation for St. Patrick’s Day issued by Bishop Peter Libasci of Manchester, New Hampshire. A St. Patrick’s Day dispensation made sense, he said, when he was growing up during the 1940s and 1950s, when Lent was “a true desert experience” and when the Church prescribed, in his estimate, almost 100 days a year of either fasting or abstaining from meat. Is St. Patricks Day during Lent this year? St. Patricks Day is fixed every year for March 17. Because Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb 22, 2023, and ends on Holy Thursday, Apr 6, 2023, S t. From RTÉ Archives, On the Land's 1965 guide to good potato sprouting practice. A day off from Lent. Usually occurring in the middle of Lent, St Patrick’s Day was considered a welcome break from Our only chance to break Lent was on St. Patrick’s Day when we would be allowed one treat. Nowadays, Lent should really be re-named as “New Year’s Resolutions – Take Two,” when booze and A statue of St. Patrick, patron of the Archdiocese of New York, is seen at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2021. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz) This year March 17 falls on a Friday. From special Masses to parades, the world rejoices on St. Patrick’s day. Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Celebrating St. Patrick’s day during Lent. Anchorage, Alaska, Mar 16, 2009 / 06:24 am When is Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent and St. Patrick's Day? Get your answers here. The beginning of March launches the first of several holidays and traditions with Roman Catholic roots: Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent and St. Patrick’s Day. I have always observed Lent for the full 40 days, but recently I found out that we get a "cheat day" on St Patrick's Day! Is this something that is What and when is St. Patrick’s Day? Always celebrated on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Monday in 2025. St. Patrick’s Day is the celebration and feast day of the patron saint of Ah, it's now Paddy's Day. Go easy everyone. Not too many sweets. Lent begins again in 24 hours. — Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) March 17, 2015 Dara Ó Briain / Twitter Jesus reminds us that — through his death and resurrection — we’re all forgiven. We all have a place in heaven. And, in the end, we’re all children of God, no matter our background nor the day of the year. In the last few years, I’ve embraced the tension that exists between the austerity of Lent and the festivity of St. Patrick’s Day. Others said they see moderate celebration as a way to break up Lenten fasting, making St. Patrick’s Day a sort of sweet reward for sticking to fasts during the rest of Lent. Who was Saint Patrick? ~ With Saint Patrick’s Day fast approaching, we take a look at the History & Traditions of St. Patrick’s Day ~ St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated annually on March 17th, honors St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Today it is often associated with parades, wearing green, and festive gatherings. No, in fact some years ago, St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday in Lent, a traditional day for Catholics to abstain from eating meat. This meant no corned beef on St. Patrick's Day unless the local
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