St. Patrick's Day is the correct spelling for the holiday celebrated today, March 17. Both "Saint Patrick's Day" and its abbreviation "St. Patrick's Day" are widely accepted, with the apostrophe showing possession by the patron saint of Ireland.

Official Spelling Breakdown

The full formal name draws from Saint Patrick (c. 385–461), so it's Saint Patrick's Day —capitalized, with an apostrophe after "Patrick."

  • Abbreviation : St. Patrick's Day (period after "St.," apostrophe before "s") follows major guides like Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster , prioritizing consistency.
  • Without the apostrophe (St. Patricks Day), it wrongly suggests multiple saints; St. Patricks' Day implies possession by many Patricks.

Common Mistakes to Dodge

Folks often slip up online, especially with nicknames:

  • St. Patty's Day? Nope—"Patty" nods to Patricia or burgers, not Irish Pádraig (Patrick). "Paddy's" is the authentic shorten from Gaelic roots, a pet peeve for Irish natives.
  • Picture this: In 2010, Marcus Campbell launched PaddyNotPatty.com after seeing "Patty" spam his feed—it's sparked endless forum rants ever since.

Spelling Variant| Correct?| Why or Why Not?| Usage Notes
---|---|---|---
Saint Patrick's Day| Yes| Full formal name; traditional and precise 9| Best for articles, invites
St. Patrick's Day| Yes| Standard abbreviation; apostrophe key 15| Everyday writing, signs
St. Patricks Day| No| Misses possession; reads as plural 7| Common typo in casual posts
St. Patty's Day| No| Wrong nickname origin; offends some Irish 38| Avoid—use Paddy's instead
St. Paddy's Day| Yes (informal)| True Irish shorten; fun for pubs 5| Party vibes, social media

Quick Holiday Context

Today in 2026, parades from Dublin to NYC are green with shamrocks and Erin go Bragh chants ("Ireland forever"). It honors Patrick's legacy—spreading Christianity via three-leaf clovers—now a global bash of corned beef, Guinness, and leprechaun lore. Style guides agree: Pick one spelling (like St. Patrick's) and stick to it all March 17.

TL;DR : Spell it St. Patrick's Day —apostrophe matters, skip "Patty."

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.