St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day, celebrated each year on March 17, is Ireland's national holiday celebrating its patron saint, St. Patrick. St. Patrick's Day often is an event that includes parades, street fairs and fireworks, with a week long festival in Dublin. Many Irish people sport shamrocks on their clothing, while children wear badges or green ribbons in their hair. Americans wear "something green" on this day, in order to avoid (as custom dictates) being pinched.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and those of Irish descent not only in Dublin, but in most Irish towns, as well in cities in Europe, Asia, and throughout the Americas. The first public St. Paddy's Day celebrations took place in Boston in 1737, where a large Irish population lives. The largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the world takes place in New York City, which dates back to 1762. St. Patrick's Day parades in Ireland began in the late 19th century.
Although St. Patrick's Day is a festival for those of Irish descent, many proclaim themselves Irish for a day so that they may also celebrate St. Patrick's Day. These celebrations usually usually include Irish beer (often dyed green), such as Guinness or Murphys, as well as Irish liquors such as Irish whiskey, Irish Coffee or Baileys Irish Cream. The festivities may also feature Irish folk music and ballads, which the crowds happily sing along with.
