Is It St. Patrick’s Day or St. Patricks Day?

As March 17 approaches, some people may wonder how to write the name of the holiday that honors Saint Patrick.

Do You Use an Apostrophe When Spelling St. Patrick’s Day?

The day is recognized as the “Feast of St. Patrick” in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. The Associated Press Stylebook identifies the holiday as a singular possessive noun with an apostrophe before the s. This style treats the holiday as a day belonging to St. Patrick, thus making it possessive.

Must We Capitalize St. Patrick’s Day?

Another common question for some people may be whether St. Patrick’s Day should always be capitalized. The answer is that in referring to the holiday, we do capitalize it when using it either as a proper noun phrase or as an adjective phrase.

Examples

Are you going to an Irish restaurant to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? (proper noun phrase)

Is your family planning to go to the St. Patrick’s Day parade this year? (adjective phrase)

Must We Use the Abbreviation for Saint?

Either St. Patrick’s Day or Saint Patrick’s Day is acceptable, although The Associated Press Stylebook uses the abbreviated version.

Can We Use St. Pat’s Day?

Writing “St. Pat’s Day” or “St. Paddy’s Day” is acceptable for informal contexts. We recommend St. Patrick’s Day when using it in formal writing.

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