St. Patrick's Day is one of the world's most widely celebrated cultural holidays— filled with parades, festive gatherings and a sea of green. But beyond the revelry, the holiday has deep historical and religious roots tied to Ireland's patron saint.

St. Patrick’s Day, at least as we know it in the U.S., is infamous. From the heavy drinking, the Dropkick Murphys, the bodies of water dyed green and the lewd T-shirts that manage to offend on multiple levels,