Whether you’re a fully fledged Irish, or just Irish for the day, chances are you’ll be celebrating St Patrick’s Day. In fact, St Patrick’s is the only national day that is celebrated en masse around the world. While we’re all aware of the traditional wearing of green and shamrock decorations, these are some of the ways in which St Patrick’s is celebrated around the world:
Dublin, Ireland
Of course, the best place in the world to celebrate St Patrick’s Day is in Ireland itself. The national day extends to a four-day celebration in the country’s capital, where over 500,000 people attend the annual parade and 60 of Dublin’s iconic buildings “go green” at night.
Boston, USA
Considered the most Irish city in the US, Boston celebrates Ireland’s national day with an annual parade, which attracts approximately a million spectators and is broadcast live to troops overseas. The second-largest St Patrick’s Day parade in the country is usually held in the predominantly Irish-American neighbourhood of South Boston.
Tokyo, Japan
Despite the fact that Japan was late in jumping on the St Patrick’s Day celebrations (their first parade was in 1992), the Japanese have adopted the Irish national day as their own. Having grown in popularity, the annual parade attracts over 300,000 spectators and includes dressed up Irish dog breeds!
Chicago, USA
Home to one of America’s largest Irish communities, Chicago celebrates St Patrick’s Day by painting the town green – literally! Using 20kg of vegetable dye, the Chicago River runs emerald green every year for the national celebration!
Montserrat, Caribbean
With Irish roots dating back to the 17th century, Montserrat is known as the Emerald Island and is the only country outside of Ireland where St Patrick’s is a national holiday. The tiny Caribbean island has green and gold national colours and an Irish harp on its flag.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Believe it or not, Buenos Aires is actually home to the 5th largest Irish population in the world! Known as La Fiesta de San Patricio, the streets around the Retiro district come alive as the area is transformed into a giant street party!
Has this got you itching to visit the land of rolling green hills, good fortune and soft, mesmerising accents? Check out our Globus Ireland tours here!
