March 17th marks the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the fifth century. St. Patrick’s Day has been observed by the Irish as religious holiday for more than a thousand years. Irish families traditionally attended church in the morning and celebrated in the afternoon. St. Patrick’s Day occurs during Lent, but the prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived so that people could drink, dance and feast. In modern-day Ireland, up until the 1970s, Irish laws required pubs to be closed on March 17. In 1995, however, the Irish government began to use St. Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to drive tourism to Ireland. Now, close to a million people take part in Ireland ‘s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration that features concerts, a parade and fireworks.