St Patricks Day
March 17 used to be just a holy day in Ireland, but how did it become synonymous with a celebration of all things Irish, and where did the first St Patrick’s day parade take place?
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Let’s get the party started
In 2009, the St Patrick’s Day Festival (March 13-17) in Dublin is celebrated in style, with music, street theatre, family carnivals and up to 4000 performers joining the fun. Download Pocket Guide . In Galway , things really hot up with performers taking part in the city’s fabulous walking parade . Armagh and Down pay tribute to St Patrick with the largest celebration of the patron saint in Northern Ireland. Cork goes wild with excitement, with a fiesta of colours and flights of fancy; while Belfast becomes a captivating carnival city for the duration. In fact, most cities, towns and villages across the island of Ireland all hold their own celebrations – big or small – so no matter where you are in the country, you’ll be treated to a delightful dose of Irish tradition and festive spirit.
What about the rest of the world?
St Patrick is remembered around the world on March 17, with North America being home to some of the most spectacular productions. The St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York is a rather splendid affair as it marches up 5th Avenue to the beat of countless marching bands; while Hot Springs, Arkansas parades its procession down Bridge Street and, despite it being reputedly the shortest street in the world, there’s plenty to keep you occupied along the way. In London, marching bands from the UK, Ireland and the US strut their stuff through the centre of the city, with a fun-filled St Patrick’s Festival taking place around Trafalgar Square. You’ll even find celebrations from Singapore to Bangladesh and from Beijing to Aukland, as a little Irish tends to go a long, long way!
And here's something you mightn't know…
Ireland wasn’t the first country to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a parade and, up until 1970, pubs across Ireland closed their doors as a mark of respect for this religious occasion! It was, in fact, colonial New York City that hosted the first official St Patrick’s Day parade back in 1762, when Irish immigrants in the British colonial army marched down the city streets to St Patrick’s Cathedral. Dublin’s first St Patrick’s Day Parade is little more than 75 years old, but the occasion has changed dramatically since then!
