March 17 Holidays

St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the fifth-century Romano-British missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland — a feast observed since the early 17th century that became the global celebration of Irish heritage now anchored by parades in New York, Chicago, and Dublin. National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day marks the Irish-American adaptation that swapped traditional bacon for the salt-cured beef available in New York’s Jewish immigrant delis. Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Day honors the Philippine president who died in a 1957 plane crash on Mount Manunggal, Cebu, and is remembered as one of Asia’s most democratically committed Cold War-era leaders. Doctor Patient Trust Day was created to honor the foundational role of trust in the physician-patient relationship. An island saint, an island president, and the bond that holds medicine together.