So some people get insanely excited for Christmas or the Fourth of July. But if you live in the small town called Pearl River in Rockland County New York, then you know what the greatest day of the year really is. The Sunday after March 17 is the Pearl River St. Patrick's Day Parade.
With Pearl River being the most Irish town in NY state and ranked number three by Forbes in America's Top Irish Neighborhoods, thousands of people come from all over for the parade. It is the biggest holiday out town celebrates. And if you grew up in this perfectly Irish town, there were and are so many parts that make the Parade so special and amazing.
1. You start this wonderful day by putting on your Irish Sweater or some crazy obnoxious green shamrock T-shirt...or even dress up as a leprechaun.
2. Don't forget to run to Zimi's and grab yourself a green bagel.
3. When you were little, you would head out early with your family to set up your chairs and claim your spot before the masses arrive.
4. Once you got to the family party you tried to convince your mom to let the older kids spray paint your hair green.
5. But when you get a bit older, you meet up at whichever one of your friends houses is closest to town, and start shot gunning beers.
6. Once good and drunk, its time to rally the troops and start heading into the chaos of town.
7. While walking through town you run into all your fellow Irish Pearl River-ians hugging them like family.
8. You somehow always end up in the Dollar General parking lot which is basically just a high school reunion...of all the high schools in the county.
9. Then you make it down to King Kone for that perfect small cone of green ice cream.
10. Once the parade begins you hear the bagpipes playing all day. Lots and lots of bagpipes.
11. And if you aren't hearing bagpipes every where you turn, you're hearing and off-the-boat, can't-understand-anything Irish brogue.
12. Now that you're old enough, when those carts go rolling buy filled with the crazy hats, wands, swords, and balloons...you can't help but buy one.
13. And forget about trying to find your friends if you get separated, phone service is basically impossible with the thousands of people using their phones.
14. Once the parade starts to die down, you stumble back to your friends house, where her family party is going on, and get some of her mom's shepherds pie (which is even better drunk).
15. Then some how you make your way home and pass out on the couch still decked out in your green gear.
