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St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, falls on a Thursday in 2005. This is good news. When the holiday is in the middle of the week, the merriment starts on the Saturday before, in this case March 13th, and lasts until the day itself. Following that tradition, St. Patrick's Day will actually be a five-day occasion. Although not an "official" holiday in the United States, St. Patrick's Day has a long history of being celebrated with parades and general goodwill for all things Irish. The day commemorates St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. Because many Americans celebrate their Irish lineage on St. Patrick's Day, March was picked as Irish-American Heritage Month. The month was first proclaimed in 1995 by Congress. The U.S. president also issues an Irish-American Heritage Month proclamation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34.3 million claim an Irish ancestry. That's almost nine times the population of Ireland itself--3.9 million. Irish-Americans are devoted and proud of their heritage--even if it's many generations removed. They're also a prize group to have as customers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Irish-Americans are both better-educated and more financially well-off than the population as a whole. Thirty percent of those age 25 years old and over have bachelor's degrees or higher, and their annual median household income is $48,900; for the population as a whole, the respective figures are 24 percent and $42,000. That's a lot of customers and a lot of business. Court them well and then count your blessings.

It's easy to find authentic Irish-made merchandise. Here's a list of some companies worth contacting:

* Abbey Press, 800/621-1588

* Accent on Irish wares, 800/782-7026

* Bewley Irish Imports, 888/239-5397

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* Blarney Glass, 800/662-5734

* Branigan Weavers, branigan@clubi.ie, www.braniganweavers.com

* Bridgets of Erin, 800/279-6470

* Cathedral Art Metal, 800/493-4438

* Celtic Art, 718/482-7624

* Celtic Images Photography 410/527-0965

* Conway's Irish Gifts, 651/457-6980

* Emerald Isle Imports, 781/447-0469

* Fado Jewelry, 877/367-3236

* Guinness Licensed Merchandise, 914/345-1503

* Irish Books and Media, 800/229-3505

* Irish Music Corp., 800/854-ERIN

* JC Walsh and Sons, jcwalsh@connemaramarble.com, www.connemaramarble.com

* Latchfords of Ireland, 888/260-3378

* Mullingar Pewter, mullingarpewter@eircom.net, www.mullingarpewter.com

* Philip Gray Fine Art, constance@philipgray.com, www.philipgray.com

* St. Nicholas Gifts, 800/231-5365

* Walsh Trading Company, 800/255-3144, www.walsh-trading.com

St. Patrick is one of the most popular saints yet few people know his history. It is believed he was been born in the late fourth century. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland--although scientists say the island never had snakes. It is believed he died on March 17, 461 AD.

To those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. But the secular side has taken the lion's share of attention and business.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds around the world. Set up your St. Patrick's Day merchandise as early as the first week of February, but don't expect business to really take off until around March 7. It's a generally late buying occasion. Research from Hallmark shows that 50 percent of St. Patrick's Day card sales are during the 10 days before St. Patrick's Day. Novelties and partyware will be the biggest volume sellers, but don't over look Irish-made crystal, jewelry and better merchandise. They can bring in welcomed profits and repeat customers. Many communities across the nation host festive St. Patrick's Day parades, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York.

The wearin' o' the green is observed in schools, in homes, in the workplace, and on the street. Tradition says you'll get pinched if you're not wearing something green. Industry-wide, Americans will exchange about 16 million St. Patrick's Day cards, making this the ninth-largest card-sending occasion in the United States. Irish icons--the shamrock, the flag, and the leprechaun (a fanciful shoemaker of Gaelic folklore, said to bestow good wishes and good luck)--are favorites. Rural landscapes evocative of the "Emerald Isle" are popular. The shamrock as a symbol of St. Patrick's Day recognizes the saint's use of the clover to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity--the three leaves representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the stem representing the Godhead.

Let your customers have fun during your St. Patrick's Day marketing campaign. Have concerts of Irish music, Irish dance exhibitions and lessons, Irish food tastings, contests and craft. This is a festive occasion.

Limericks came from Ireland. Have customers write limericks about the holiday. Here's the start: There once was a saint named Patrick ...

Create a trivia quiz, too. Give a prize to any customer who gets them right. Here are a few items to turn into questions:

* Johnny Cash wrote the popular song "Forty Shades of Green." The idea came to him as he looked down while flying over the Ireland

* Blue is Ireland's official color.

* Bono's real name is Paul Hewson.

* Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, was born in Dublin.

* Connor was the most popular name given to boys born in the Republic of Ireland during 1999.

* Cork is Ireland's largest county.

* Irish pubs are closed on Christmas day.

* It rains two out of three days in southwestern areas of Ireland which gives an annual average of 270 rainy days.

* Murphy and Kelly are the most common Irish surnames.

* Nine men of Irish ancestry signed the Declaration of Independence.

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* Only about 4 percent of Irish people have red hair.

* Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore--a Galway man--composed "When Johnny Comes Marching Home."

* Queen Elizabeth I founded Trinity College in 1592.

* Smithereens is derived from the Irish word smithirini.

* St. Lawrence O'Toole was Ireland's first canonized saint.

* St. Patrick is the patron saint of fishermen.

* St. Patrick's Day is a legal holiday in Briarwood Beech, Ohio, USA.

* The first Irish was Saint Abban, who preached in Southern England in the 2nd century.

* The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was in 1737 and was hosted by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston.

* The mute swan is Ireland's largest breeding species.

* The Republic of Ireland has well over 10,000 pubs.

* The reputed origin of the Blarney Stone is that it is Jacob's Pillow brought from the Holy Land after the Crusades.

* The state of Maine, USA, with an area of 33,215 square miles, is closest in size to the Emerald Isle.

* There are 15 players on a Gaelic football team.

* Two Irish women, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, won the Pulitzer Price for Peace in 1977 for their efforts to stop the violence in Northern Ireland.

There are Irish-American social and history groups throughout the United States. Check your local phone book or library for details on how to get in touch with those in your trading area. If you find them to be very supportive, celebrate all of March as Irish-American Month.