Irish or not, St. Patty’s Day is an excuse to dress up in your most vibrant green outfit, eat all the green food you can get your hands on, and drink gallons of beer in celebration of St. Patrick. Many local town parades and all day festivities take place while work, school, and all other obligations are put on hold. From leprechauns to shamrocks, St. Patty’s Day is a special day for the Irish (and everyone else who likes to have a good time). One of St. Patty’s Day famous and traditional recipes is corned beef and cabbage, a unique Irish dish seen in many traditional Irish families’ homes.
Traditionally, St. Patrick’s day was a religious holiday with laws prohibiting pubs to even be open (SHOCKER!). This was the case up until 1995, when the Irish government decided to use St. Patrick’s Day as a way to boost tourism and showcase Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, more than 1 million people participate in Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, and millions of parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and firework shows take place around the world.
This year, the St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, Ireland will be taking place March 14th-18th. The infamous parade will be taking place on the most important day, March 17th. There will be over twelve marching bands from the U.S performing and competing in the parade along with many other street performers and entertainers. There will be a city sightseeing tour available for anyone interested in taking a lightly commentary, one loop ride around the beautiful city of Dublin after dark. ‘Greening the City’ will also be taking place during the festival, where all community shops, buildings, houses, windows, and any other willing person will transform the city into one huge, green community with bright green shining lights all around. This festival is a world renowned celebration filled with lots of enthusiasm and Irish spirits! Join in on the fun this St. Patty’s day and make your own Irish festival right in your own living room. Go get your green on!