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St Patrick’s Day: How The Irish Celebration Is Welcomed In Across The World

Happy March 17th!

Credit: Shutterstock/vichie81

We may think of St Patrick’s Day as a purely Irish tradition, but they’re not the only country that pulls out green, white and gold flags for the day!

St Patrick’s Day is a celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, who famously brought Christianity to the country. He was also poignant in using a shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, with the three leaflets representing each aspect. So whilst his commemorative day is primarily linked to religion, it is now seen as a day of joyous activities and all things Irish.

Dublin, Ireland

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St Patrick’s Day became a national holiday for Ireland in 1903, allowing everyone a day off from their normal duties to go and make merry all day long. As with many other countries, a full parade takes place throughout the heart of the capital, with music and marching to be heard. There’s always a headline celebrity act, with past stars including Westlife’s Nicky Byrne and comedian Brendan O’Carroll, with John C. Reilly taking the position this year – yes, he’s actually American, but we’ll let it slide. Dublin is the main tourist hotspot for St Patrick’s Day, so as long as you’re prepared for mass gatherings and busy bars, the craic will still be mighty!

Belfast, N. Ireland

The Northern capital of the country also hosts its own celebrations, with it being just as important of a day as it is down south. After two years of no celebrations due to Covid, Belfast is hosting one of its biggest parades ever! Festivities have been ongoing since March 10th and are running until the 21st, making up for lost time and maximising fun. If you’d rather mark the day more energetically , there’s a 10k run taking place, with the route touring all the iconic sights across the city.

London, England

Only across the sea from the main country itself, England also chooses to honour its neighbours with Irish celebrations spread across the city. The world-renowned London Eye dons new a green appearance every year, whilst down on the ground there’s a festival happening in every district, with an entertainment festival featuring several well-known musicians lasting hours. So don’t panic about getting to Heathrow for a quick flight to the island of Ireland, there’s plenty going on in London as it is!

Chicago, USA

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Chances are, you’ve heard an American individual claim to be Irish… well there’s no surprise that they go big for St Paddy’s Day in the states then! And Chicago, Illinois hosts one of the most extravagant American-Irish parties you can imagine. They quite literally paint the town green; the Chicago River is flooded with environmentally-safe green dye, resulting in a bright Irish colouring throughout the city. And, of course, there is a parade that takes place during the day.

New York, USA

Another hub for all things green is New York, New York, where, similarly to the Chicago River, a famous attraction gets its shamrock on, only this time it’s the Empire State Building. The Big Apple also hosts potentially one of the longest parades of the day, spanning six hours and attracting over 2 million tourists. This tradition has been ongoing since 1762, 14 years before the USA was even founded as a country!

Montreal, Canada

The parties don’t stop across Northern America, with three hours of Irish entertainment taking place through sun or snow in Canada. This year marks the 197th parade, and they certainly do go all out. Expect a giant St Patrick himself to be followed by marching bands, floats and bagpipes as they walk through the city in celebration.

Munich, Germany

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Known for one of Europe’s biggest parades, Munich embodies the ‘go big or go home’ attitude. They close off Leopold’s Street (the main high street) for the parade and fuse together the Irish joy with Bavarian culture. Expect a lot of fancy dress and be prepared to drink your body weight in alcohol.

Montserrat, Caribbean

Home to a large Irish population, the British isle of Montserrat in the Caribbean declared St Patrick’s Day as a national holiday in 1985. The country blends Irish and African cultures together, resulting in steel drum bands, kilts, creole breakfasts, goat water stew, masked dancers and, of course, a significant amount of green.

Tokyo, Japan

Organised by the Irish Network of Japan, there are several St Patrick’s Day celebrations all throughout the country. They proudly promote the cultural exchange between both Japan and Ireland, with both flags presented during the parades. They even host Asia’s largest Irish festival, the aptly-named ‘I Love Ireland Festival’.

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