History of Halfway to St. Patrick's Day

Get ready to raise your glass on September 17th!

All around the world, in over 100 countries, there's a new holiday being celebrated on September 17th: Halfway to St. Patrick's Day!

Halfway to St. Patrick's Day finds its roots in "Arthur Guinness Day" or "Arthur's Day," which celebrates that patron saint of beer, Arthur Guinness himself. In Europe, Asia, the US, and elsewhere, people raise there glasses at 5:59 PM on September 22nd to salute the man, the beer, and the fact that we are halfway to our favorite celebration of Irish customs, food, and drink!

Events take place all over the globe from the 17th to the 22nd, so you don’t have to choose when to celebrate. Grab a pint, put on the Irish music, and bask in the green glow of the season!

Appropriately, it was at this half way point in the year that Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease in 1759 to brew his beer at St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. His brew has raised spirits and improved opinions of the Irish worldwide ever since.

"Halfway to Saint Patrick's Day" is a new holiday, but it is spreading fast. Its popularity began in 2009 when Guinness had its 250th Anniversary. The company sponsored live music and other events all over the world as part of the festivities, and among those, “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” celebrations sprang up.

Now, Halfway to St. Patrick's Day events pop up everywhere and encourage people to gather in pubs, taverns, and bars, raise a glass and enjoy some fellowship with other lovers of St. Patrick's Day, Irish music, and beer!

But the day is also being used to promote social causes. Many events raise funds for the Arthur Guinness Fund, which supports projects to improve communities and the lives of citizens around the world. A quick glimpse at Google will show Halfway to St. Patrick's Day road races and charity events in addition to the many pub parties in small towns and big cities around the world!

So grab a pint and get ready to salute Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day on September 17th! And then you can raise your glass again for Arthur’s Day on the 22nd! It's a good day for a Guinness. And a great time for the Irish!