St. Patrick was a patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain then kidnapped in the late 4th century. He was taken to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. When he escaped he left but soon came back to Ireland to convert them to Christianity. He died on March 17 by the year of 461. According to research he “established monasteries, churches, and schools”, which caused legends to spring up. According to a legend, St. Patrick ran the “snakes” out of Ireland. They say he used the Shamrock to explain the Trinity. Ireland decided to dedicate March 17 to St. Patrick for all of his accomplishments and celebrated with religious services and feast. In the U.S this holiday has become a secular holiday, meaning it isn’t as religious as it is in Ireland. In 1737, Boston held a St. Patricks Day parade. In 1962, Chicago dyed the river green to mark the holiday. The color green is associated with St. Patricks day from folklore about leprechauns. Apparently in stories about leprechauns, if you wear green you are hidden from them. Leprechauns love to pinch people they can see. This holiday is still celebrated today by wearing green and sporting some shamrocks. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person spends about $40, making it about $5.61 billion overall.