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St Patrick's Day

There is one day every year when the Irish come out in droves, people who never mentioned they had Irish heritage before start claiming their Irish roots and if you’re not Irish at all, you start wishing that you were. It’s St Patrick’s Day and it is one massive event that takes hold of the Irish around the world and allows their national pride to shine.

If you want to celebrate St Paddies Day the way it’s meant to be celebrated, there is only one place to do it. The Emerald Isle.

Lisa, an Aussie who lived in Ireland, knows just what goes on during the St Patrick Day Festivities.

In Dublin they don’t only celebrate on 17 March but there is a weeklong festival of events culminating with a massive parade through the streets of Dublin on St Patricks Day. The parade itself totally exceeded all my expectations- there were literally tens of thousands of people in the streets and there was so much energy and excitement in the air! After the parade finished it was time to hit one of the hundreds of pubs in town for a few, well more than a few, pints of Guinness and dance then dance the Ceili (Irish dancing) with strangers in the streets. St Patrick’s day in Ireland is an experience not to be missed- especially if you like green!

Other celebrations include street performers, music, comedy, theatre, family carnivals and plenty of green is splashed around! Irish food and beverages are enjoyed late into the night.

Who was Saint Patrick?

Patron Saint of Ireland, Patrick spent 6 years in captivity in Ireland where he discovered religion and is credited with converting the Irish to Christianity.

Why St Patrick’s Day?

The day falls on the date of St Pat’s death 17 March. It is a religious holiday and now very much a day of national pride. Legend states that St Patrick was meant to have banished all the snakes from Ireland but in reality there was no proof that snakes ever resided in Ireland.

St Patrick’s Day falls during the Christian period of Lent and is one day where the prohibition of meat during Lent is lifted. Mass followed by feasting, drinking and dancing is how the day has always been celebrated.

Check out the awesome St Patrick’s Day Parade