International popularity March 17 is a day for huge celebrations in Ireland. However, due to Ireland’s history of emigration, many people around the world consider themselves to be partly Irish because of their ancestral connections. This means that Saint Patrick’s Day parties take place around the world, from Boston to Tokyo, Sydney to Buenos Aires. In fact, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.

Big parades
The most famous celebrations on Saint Patrick’s Day are the parades. These are carnival-like events, where people dress up and walk along the street, dancing or playing music. Often the parades include big lorries, specially decorated in green. Many of the world’s major cities have enormous parades. The largest is in New York, where 150,000 people participate in the parade and millions of people watch. The second largest is in Dublin, Ireland’s capital city. More ‘modest’ parades Ireland itself is a relatively small country with few cities.

However, most of its towns and villages have their own ‘mini’ parades. Sometimes, these simply include a few tractors and the children from the local school. The shortest known parade used to take place in the village of Dripsey, in southern Ireland. The length of the parade was just 23 metres, between the village’s two pubs. However, the Dripsey parade came to an end when one of the two pubs sadly closed down!
A day for green
Another well-known aspect of Saint Patrick’s Day is the colour green. Around the world, many people wear green clothes as a way of marking the day. In major cities, green lights illuminate famous global landmarks such as the Colosseum in Rome or the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. In Chicago, thousands of people watch as special boats dye the river a bright green colour. Students at Miami University in Ohio, USA, even have a 70-year-old tradition of drinking special green ‘Saint Patrick’s’ beer! Wherever you’re from, make sure you celebrate this 17 March by watching your local parade, drinking some Irish beer or perhaps just by wearing a silly green hat. And don’t forget to wish your friends a wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day, or, as they say in Ireland, ‘Happy Paddy’s Day
What happens on St. Patrick’s Day?
In general, people wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. Some people wear costumes or funny hats. Some people go to church in the morning. In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has primarily been a religious festival. With it being an official holiday in Ireland since 1903, coinciding with lent, many people would go to church in the morning. After this, they'd have a feast where they would overlook the restrictions on meat for a day to have the traditional dish of cabbage and bacon.
The pubs and restaurants used to close on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland until 1995 when the Irish government encouraged the public to take advantage of the day as a great way to drive tourism and show off Irish culture. Some pubs even offer green pints now!
Outside of Ireland, the history of St. Patrick’s Day is a bit different. Performances are a big feature and there are over 100 parades across America.

Speaking of green, Chicago will use vegetable dye to colour the city’s river green for a couple of hours. They used to dye it for a week but wanted to minimize environmental damage. Most parades feature bands, as well as dancers who wear traditional Irish dress and tap shoes for performing Irish step dance.
Canada
While annual parades are held in Montreal and Toronto, a three-day cultural festival is held in Manitoba for St. Patrick’s Day. Put on by the Irish Association of Manitoba, the festival features a fish-and-chip dinner, Celtic bands, and a party day filled with traditional music and dancing.
In Vancouver, an annual festival celebrating traditional Celtic culture—including food, music, and storytelling—is held the week of the holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day is also considered a public holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador.
United States
St. Patrick’s Day traditions run the gamut across the U.S. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601, and set the stage for future parades to occur across the States as time went on.
Some of the longest-running St. Patrick’s Day parades occur in Cleveland, San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.
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Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C. is the home of the White House, which is where the President and First Family live. Every year, on St. Patrick’s Day, the White House is lit up in a vibrant green colour to honour the holiday. The water in the fountain outside the White House also turns green to mark the occasion.
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New York
When discussing St. Patrick's Day traditions around the world, you can’t skip over New York. The bustling and lively atmosphere of this iconic American city can be felt throughout the array of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that it hosts every year. St. Patrick’s Day parades are held all over the world, but the one in New York is arguably the most iconic, and certainly the largest. The parade is held on Fifth Avenue and has been going on since 1762, making it the oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people take part in the parade each year, with millions of onlookers coming along to celebrate. Participants in the parade include different Irish societies in New York City, schools, colleges, Emerald societies and Irish language and nationalist societies.
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Australia
A number of St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivals take place across Australia on March 17th including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Australia also takes part in the ‘Go Green’ campaign each year when many buildings go green in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, including the famous Sydney Opera House.
Japan
Did you know that Japan hosts fifteen St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivals each year? However, the biggest parade takes place in Tokyo, which is Asia’s oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day parade. This parade has been running since 1992 and features céilí bands, harp players and a mixture of Irish and Japanese GAA clubs.