The return of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
March 17th marks St. Patrick’s Day with celebrations in many parts of the world. The religious holiday dates to 1631 when the church established a feast day honouring St. Patrick, a Patron Saint credited as the most successful and famous Christian missionary in Ireland. Over time, this event became a celebration of Irish culture packed with parades, charms, food, and all things green!
Celebrated as a national holiday in Ireland, it is also merrily observed across the globe. The water at the Sydney Opera House and Chicago River are dyed green for the holiday. Parades are widely held in many regions such as Boston, Philadelphia and Savannah where a lot of festive activities take place. The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the world’s oldest and largest civilian parade with over 150,000 participants.
Here are some of the celebrations happening today:
Dublin, Ireland
The National St. Patrick’s Festival 2022 (March 16-20) in Dublin has been unveiled as the biggest yet. Themed “Connection/Naisc”, its global festival invites everyone to reconnect through the celebration of contemporary and traditional Irish arts, culture and heritage. After a two-year absence, there will be a return of National St. Patrick's Day Parade on the streets of Dublin today, March 17th.
Something new this year in the heart of Dublin is the Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. There will be a day-to-night festival featuring performances, theatre and giant games alongside talks, screenings, circus, science shows, lighting displays, food and more!
Cork, Ireland
Cork’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is all set to make a return with plans for a mega celebration. Having moved online the last two years due to the pandemic, there will be a physical parade at 1pm on March 17th this year. Themed “HEROES – Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times”, the parade will be featuring members of communities from all walks of life from sporting groups to dance schools, new communities and established brass bands besides special guests from around the world.
London, UK
The best of Irish arts, culture, food and music was showcased at the London’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival on the 13th March at Trafalgar Square. This year’s theme is “Coming Back Together” celebrating the unity in appreciating the contribution of Irish people to the city.
There’ll be plenty of community events happening from 11th to 19th March from short films screening and kids workshops to community singing.
Unofficially, organisations and venues are hosting their own events too such as the St. Patrick’s Day Comedy in Leicester Square today, on the 17th, which offers to spruce up the celebration with good laughs from top Irish stand-up comedians, among other events.
Wherever you are, make it a great celebration this year and reunite with family and friends either physically or virtually.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us at KTL!