Celebrate St. Patrick's Day the Irish Way.... with St. Patrick's Day Costumes
In the United States, on the onset of the month of March, the Chicago River is dyed to a brilliant green color, leprechaun and shamrock posters and pins abound the streets, and curiously mellisonant Irish songs and jigs are all over the radio. What's causing all these racket? Yep, you guessed it! Preparations for St. Patrick's Day are well under way.
In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is considered much more of a religious holiday akin to Christmas or Easter. The Irish start the celebration by going to church in the morning and offering prayers to St. Patrick and for priest missionaries all over the world. After that is when the big celebration begins. Villages hold their own annual Saint Patrick's Day parade. And the celebration has been so huge over the past few years that it has become to one of the biggest tourist attraction in Ireland.
Abroad, cities with a large population of Irish and the Irish-At-Heart celebrate St. Patrick's Day in a fantastical, big way as well. Every 17th of March is a religious and national holiday in Ireland, and while in the U.S., Canada and other countries worldwide welcome and celebrate the day with great festivities. Green is the color of the day, as it is almost known as the “official” color of Ireland. Small towns hold fairs, dances and parties; featuring funny little dancing leprechauns, and all attendees wearing shamrock pins and pendants. Big cities hold extravagant parades and drinking sprees in bars. But apart from the bustle and commotion of the day, there's a lot of history behind this celebration, especially surrounding the man of the hour, St. Patrick of Ireland.
Saint Patrick, the well known and beloved Apostle of Ireland, was born in Scotland, in 387; died in Ireland on March 17 493. St. Patrick was not a born Irish, but because of his services across Ireland, he has become a natural and intrinsic part of the Irish heritage Aside from his being a missionary, traveling abroad, preaching and spreading the word of God, and winning converts in his travels, much of his fame lies heavily on the legend that he was the one who banished the Druids which propagated paganism in Ireland. The religious sector celebrates the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day, as a “traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide”.
The holiday was born in Ireland, and while the Irish spread far and wide around the world and settled in various countries, they brought with them their tradition, culture and especially this celebration. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. On the 17th of March, one can expect a lot of community festivities in towns and villages, serving green colored food and drinks associated in the day's celebration.
Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and 'luck o' the Irish'. Most importantly, it is remembered as a day of cheer and care-free fun, with people dancing and loudly singing in parties and pubs and a day where people are supposed to wear Irish-themed costumes or at least a green shirt; because according to tradition those who are not are going to be pinched! It's a total celebration for being Irish and enjoying things Irish.
Don't get left behind in the festivities!
Page 1 of 3 Next>>
Diverse Celebration of St. Patrick's Day
They say, “Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day!”.
Commemoration of St. Patrick's is celebrated every year in cities, towns and villages across the globe, and there's no other place that can match the exciting festivities and atmosphere of the five-day celebration of St. Patrick's Day than in Ireland.
The extravagant St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, Ireland is full of rambunctious bands that play Irish songs and folk songs, donning traditional green uniforms dotted with three-leaf clover or wearing St. Patrick's Day Costumes, with leprechaun mascots waving the Irish flag, topped with floats for an overall amazing street performance. The Irish parade is truly a great thing to witness!
People flock to pubs and restaurants where most of the celebrations occur. And many Irish people, including tourists, wear green leprechaun hats, paint shamrocks on their faces, wear shirts that is either green in color or have a message that says “Kiss Me I'm Irish!”.
Despite settling in the country for a long while, it was not until the late 1730's that Irish immigrants celebrated St. Patrick's Day in the United States. And the first-ever celebration was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in New York City 1756; while the first parade was on the 17th of March in 1762, spearheaded by Irish soldiers. And ever since then, the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City now has over 1million spectators every year, wildly anticipated by the Irish and the Irish-at-Heart.
Americans celebrate it with zeal, and took to the tradition of wearing green clothing during the celebration despite ethnic background, because those who are caught not wearing green are targeted and pinched! Certain parts of the United States have staged community parties and feasts featuring green-colored foods, most due to enhancing with green food dye.
In the United Kingdom, the biggest celebratory parade is held in heart of Birmingham. The St. Patrick's Festival is one of the city's great community events. It is as spectacular, notably for being the second biggest parade outside of Ireland, outranked only by the United States. The Irish has always been one of the largest minority in the UK, and especially concentrated in London, Coatbridge and Manchester.
Festivities include the famous “Irish Market” held at at Manchester. For the duration of the festival, the Irish flag flies the Irish tricolor opposite the Union Flag, street performances and various cultural events for the two-week period.
The Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade began in 1988, now has grown to be one of the anticipated parade in Canada. The parades both in Toronto and Montreal has grown to include some 100 organizations including 32 Irish associations, with the performers totaling 2,000 marchers, 30 floats, 14 bands as well as an assortment of mascots.
Though only Newfoundland and Labrador are the only ones who celebrate St. Patrick's Day as an official holiday, the meaning of the celebration has not diminished in the entire Irish population of the country.
The location may vary, but all over the world St. Patrick's Day remain the same in spirit.
Related Websites:
The History of St. Patrick's Day - The History Channel
St. Patrick's Day Theme - Printables and Worksheets
Chicago's Saint Patrick's Day Parade
Henry Weinhard's St. Patrick's Day Dash Twenty Four
Metropolitan St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee | Saint Louis ...
|
|
|
