St. Patrick's Day supply of corned beef A butcher trimming beef briskets for corned beef at the Vienna Beef factory in Chicago, March 15, 2006. (more) Why Do People Eat Corned Beef on St. Patrick’s Day? Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 11, 2026 •History Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, Americans of all backgrounds celebrate Ireland’s patron saint by eating corned beef and cabbage. The culinary pairing is as much a holiday tradition as parades, Guinness, and the color green. Understandably, many people assume that this food tradition comes from Ireland. In reality, eating corned beef on March 17 is about as American as eating apple pie. Although corned beef was not unknown in Ireland historically speaking, we have 19th-century...

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