Monday, March 17, 2008

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

In honor of St. Paddy’s Day, I thought I’d write about some of the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations taking place around the world.  I have a bit of Irish heritage, so I’ve been known to enjoy this fun day – but one day I’d love to enjoy it while on vacation in Ireland.  I can always dream!

St. Patrick’s Day is in honor of St. Patrick believed to have been born in the late fourth century.  Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.  He is probably best known for driving the snakes from Ireland. Presently there are no snakes in Ireland – but there probably never was since the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age!  Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal in most major cities.  Parades and parties mark the day.  Here are just a few for your perusal…

  • In Brooklyn, NY they celebrated with a parade on the 16th.

  • In Manhattan, locals and visitors can enjoy the 247th New York City Parade taking place on the 17th; hundreds of thousands of people will line the street donning green clothing, green face paint and enjoy green food and drinks.

  • Los Angeles also celebrates with a parade on the big day presented by the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Department.

In Canada, many of the major cities also enjoy this fun day.  Toronto boasts one of the largest St. Patrick’s parades in the world, which has taken place on the 16th this year.

Australia also gets in on the action.  In Sydney, they planned the 2008 Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade & Family Day for Sunday the16th of March.  With events the whole family will love, it’s a great day to celebrate all things Irish and to enjoy the huge parade!

England also plans many events surrounding St. Patrick’s Day.  Likely, the biggest is the London parade on the 16th.  The parade will showcase marching bands from Ireland and the UK, community groups, sports clubs, schools and street theatre in the streets of central London. 

Of course, most parts of Ireland participate in the big day.  Here’s what you can expect in the major cities…

  • In Belfast, the city council organizes a huge colorful carnival parade with a giant monkfish, flying angels and dancing serpents.

  • In Dublin, they start the celebrations on the 13th through to the 18th with music, street theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street performances, dances, a treasure hunt and night spectacles.  The big finish is the huge parade on the 17th.

No matter where you will be celebrating this fun day, I hope that you too can get out there and take in some of the fun events planned to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!  Don’t forget to wear green!

Posted by Erin on 03/17 at 01:12 PM
Travel Tips • Permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages