St Patrick’s Day, when millions of people will be adorning themselves in g
reen, participating in parades, going to parties and toasting with a pint of Guinness. The celebration, of course, is all in the name of Saint Patrick.
Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Much of what is known about Saint Patrick comes from the Declaration, which was allegedly written by Patrick himself. It is believed that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family.
His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. According to the Declaration, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. It says that he spent six years there working as a shepherd and one day God told Patrick to flee to the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home. After making his way home, Patrick went on to become a priest.
Over the following centuries, many legends grew up around Patrick. They say he was responsible for making the shamrock synonymous with Ireland after using the three-leaf clover to demonstrate the Holy Trinity. Tradition holds that he died on 17 March and was buried at Downpatrick. He became Ireland's foremost saint and celebrations are now held all over the world on March 17th.
Dublin
St Patrick’s Day isn’t just a single day in Dublin, it’s a whole week. The annual St Patrick’s Festival celebrates its 21st anniversary in 2016 and will take place from March 17 to 20.
Kicking off the festival is a free parade through Dublin’s city center on March 17. Other events include a village dedicated to craft beer and whiskey that should certainly prove popular, a city-wide treasure hunt, a walking tour inspired by Saint Patrick and an annual tradition known as “Greening the City,” that sees various landmarks lit up in green.
Belfast
Not to be outdone, Belfast is hosting its own parade on March 17, kicking off at the city’s town hall at 12pm. There’s also a free concert in the center of the city between 12.45pm and 3pm; the event will be headlined by former X Factor winner Ben Haenow and ex-Westlife singer Brian McFadden.
New York
There is perhaps no bigger parade marking St Patrick’s Day than this one in the Big Apple on March 17. Join the party along 5th Avenue from 11am Eastern Time.
Chicago
Head down to the Chicago River to see the once a year celebration of St Patrick’s Day, which dates back over 50 years, when the river goes green.
Boston
Boston has a rich history as one of the most Irish cities in America and so it’s fitting that South Boston play host to an annual parade on March 20. The event kicks off at 1pm local time.
Montreal
One of the longest-running and largest St Patrick's Day parades in North America occurs each year in Montreal, whose city flag includes a shamrock in its lower-right quadrant. The has been held yearly without interruption since 1824. St Patrick's Day itself, however, has been celebrated in Montreal since as far back as 1759 by Irish soldiers in the Montreal Garrison following the British conquest of New France.
Korea
The Irish Association of Korea has celebrated Saint Patrick's Day since 1976 in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. The place of the parade and festival has been moved to Cheonggyecheon.
Russia
The first St Patrick's Day parade took place in Russia in 1992. Since 1999, there has been a yearly "Saint Patrick's Day" festival in Moscow and other Russian cities. The official part of the Moscow parade is a military-style parade and is held in collaboration with the Moscow government and the Irish embassy in Moscow. The unofficial parade is held by volunteers and resembles a carnival.
Montserrat
Saint Patrick isn’t just an important figure in Ireland, he’s also recognized as the patron saint of the Caribbean island of Montserrat. The luxurious isle is celebrating St Patrick’s Day in style with a week of festivities including a parade on March 17, and a fun fair on March 18.
Switzerland
While Saint Patrick's Day in Switzerland is commonly celebrated on 17 March with festivities similar to those in neighboring central European countries, it is not unusual for Swiss students to organize celebrations in their own living spaces on St Patrick's Eve.
Great Britain
Birmingham - holds the largest St Patrick's Day parade in Britain with a city center parade over a two-mile (3 km) route through the city center. The organizers describe it as the third biggest parade in the world after Dublin and New York.
London - since 2002, has had an annual St Patrick's Day parade which takes place on weekends around the 17th, usually in Trafalgar Square.
Liverpool - has the highest proportion of residents with Irish ancestry of any English city. This has led to a long-standing celebration on St Patrick's Day in terms of music, cultural events and the parade.
Manchester - hosts a two-week Irish festival in the weeks prior to St Patrick's Day. The festival includes an Irish Market based at the city's town hall which flies the Irish tri-color opposite the Union Flag, a large parade as well as a large number of cultural and learning events throughout the two-week period.
Tokyo
More than 30,000 people attended Tokyo’s I Love Ireland celebrations in honor of St Patrick’s Day in 2015, and now the day-long festival is back. Taking place in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, the event promises “Irish musicians and dancers, food and drinks, sports, culture and crafts.”
Malaysia
The St Patrick's Society of Selangor, founded in 1925, organizes a yearly St Patrick's Ball, described as the biggest St Patrick's Day celebration in Asia.
Seems that no matter where you are in the world, someone will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year. We hope you have wonderful time, however, and wherever, you decide to celebrate the day!
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