The building of the Ministry of the Environment and Water lit up in green color on St. Patrick’s Day as part of Ireland’s Global Greening initiative, which encompasses national and world landmarks, sites, and iconic buildings.

The Ministry of Environment and Water joined the initiative on invitation by the Ambassador of Ireland to Bulgaria H.E. Mrs. Martina Feeney. Many cultural, educational, and historical sites throughout Bulgaria also participate in it. The Embassy of Ireland in Bulgaria informs that this year over 690 national and world sites will be illuminated in green, the most famous of which are the Colosseum in Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Niagara Falls, the Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building in New York, the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, and many others.

St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious Irish holiday celebrated on March 17. St. Patrick was a Christian missionary, patron saint of Ireland. Legend has it that he was born around 385. He traveled to Ireland in 432, where he converted the pagan Irish to Christianity. St. Patrick is believed to have used the shamrock plant to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. The shamrock has become an informal symbol of Ireland and everything Irish. Today, tradition dictates that on March 17 the Irish dress in green color to honor their patron.