St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

On March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, people of Irish decent or those who would like to be Irish, don green attire and celebrate the death of Ireland's patron Saint, Saint Patrick. Shamrocks, leprechauns and green beer will be the order of the day while green, the national color of Ireland, will dominate the landscape. Parades are held all over the world in honor of Saint Patrick with cities in North America leading the way with the best parades and celebrations around. Since his death in 461 AD, St. Patrick has taken on legendary proportions as the patron saint of Ireland and the man who drove all the snakes off the emerald island. He is credited with bringing Christianity to the Ireland and his final resting place is one of the most visited sites in the country. This is why on March 17th, more toasts are drunk to St. Patrick than other patron saint. With over 70 parades being held all around the world, it is hard to pick the best parade but cities like Boston, who have a large Irish population have great parades and fantastic celebrations. Enjoyed in Boston since 1901, the parade and annual celebrations have become a tradition in South Boston. In true Irish tradition, St. Patrick's day is actually a week long celebration with Irish food, film, plays, music and of course Guinness Beer being featured in all the local Irish pubs. Boston may have one of the better parades but the first St. Patrick's Day celebrations held in America happened in New York City in 1766. This year the 248th parade will happen on March 17th with all of NYC coming out to enjoy the day. Make sure you wear green or you get pinched repeatedly, an old tradition to punish those who don't participate in the "wearing of the green". Since 1992 St. Patrick's day has been celebrated in Tokyo, Japan with a parade on Omote Sando in Harajuku Tokyo. The city of Tokyo goes green and gets in touch with their "Irish Roots". The parade has been a cultural event that has brought a little bit of Ireland to Japan immersing the Japanese in Irish culture if only for a day. Of course if you really want to experience a truly Irish St. Patrick's Day visit Dublin in March and partake in 6 days of revelries. The St. Patrick's festival features "music, theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street arts, visual arts, dance, a treasure hunt, symposium, and cavalcades of cars" and of course a parade. So on March 17th celebrate St. Patrick's with the Irish. Drink green beer, make a wish on a shamrock, catch a leprechaun, wear green, watch a parade and do what the Irish have been doing for centuries, and have a good time or as the Irish say "Craic agus ceol". {advbottom}