Best St. Patrick's Day Celebrations Around The World
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Best St. Patrick's Day Celebrations Around The World

Time to get your green on!

106
Best St. Patrick's Day Celebrations Around The World
Photo by Amy Reed on Unsplash

The month of March is finally upon us, and we all know what that means! Time to search your closet for all the green you can find, splurge on a case of Guinness from Costco, and bring out that inner Irish in ya! Wondering where want to go this year to celebrate St. Patty's day though? Well, here is a list of just a few places around the world that know how to throw down when it comes to one of the craziest holidays of the year!

1. Dublin, Ireland (duh)

Given that it’s an Irish holiday, of course, the capital of Ireland is the place to go if you want the most authentic experience. Besides just drinking Guinness, holiday celebrations include a four-day celebration full of traditional music, dance, and folklore, paying homage to Ireland's history.

2. Chicago, Illinois

Put on by the city each year on the Saturday closest to March 17th, the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade is nothing short of exciting. Due to the city’s large Irish-American population, the city likes to go all out with its celebrations and even dyes the entire Chicago River with the color green!

3. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Surprisingly enough, Buenos Aires actually has the fifth largest Irish population in the world! The main reason though is because of the English invasion in the 1800's that involved mostly all Irish soldiers. Nevertheless, the city still parties hard for the holiday with dancing, singing, drinking, and a parade in the Retiro district.

4. New York, New York

Home to one of the largest Irish populations in the country, New Yorkers pay tribute to their Irish roots with a big ol' parade that lasts nearly six whole hours! Just imagine playing the bagpipe for that long...

5. Auckland, New Zealand

Why is St. Patty’s day celebrated all the way down under you might ask? Well during the great famine, many Irish immigrants moved to Australia and New Zealand! Now they continue to celebrate their original heritage with a parade, as well as a dance and music festival! And you know what the best part is? It’s in the middle of summer! There’s nothing like celebrating with ice cold beers in the warm sun am I right?

6. Birmingham, England


Despite what some might think, the largest St. Patrick's Day parade in Britain is not in London, the capital city. It's in Birmingham! With a parade route is nearly two miles long that struts right through the heart of the city, it is claimed to be the third largest parade in the world after just Dublin and New York. Birmingham is also known to be England's second largest city and has a fairly large Irish population, as made evident in the celebrations!

7. Hot Springs, Arkansas

Declared "The Quirkiest St. Patricks Day Parade on Earth" by Smithsonian magazine, this St. Patty's Day parade is known as the world's shortest. It takes place on Bridge Street, which was named the shortest street in the world in the 1940's. In the past, the parade has featured a dancing dinosaur, marching dachshunds, Irish belly dancers, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Elvis impersonators and so much more. Sounds like an interesting parade, to say the least!

8. Tokyo, Japan

Also known as the "I Love Ireland" celebrations, Tokyo has hosted St. Patrick's Day festivities in Yoyogi Park since only March of 2014. Despite its only recent beginnings, the event is actually very popular and has a great turnout every year so far. The festivities are a celebration of the friendly diplomatic relationship between Ireland and Japan and feature marching bands, cheerleaders, Irish dance lessons, and a whole bunch of other "craic" (an Irish word for "fun") things!

9. Montserrat, West Indies

Once a safe haven in the 1600's for Irish Catholics that were persecuted on other Caribbean islands, Montserrat's holds quite a bit of Irish heritage, and it can be seen with the shamrock shaped stamp you receive on your passport as you enter the airport. The island celebrates the holiday of St. Patrick's Day with an entire week of festivities, recognizing both it's African and Irish heritage. Events such as the freedom run and masquerade dancing are put in place to observe Montserrat's history of slavery, and in fact, this year marks the 250th anniversary of the uprising that took place on St. Patrick's day.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

112891
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments