How To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

The Irish-American Way To Celebrate

One of the greatest things about St. Patrick’s Day is that it is one day when everyone is “Irish.” St. Patty’s Day is one of the most popular holidays in the United States and people everywhere look forward to celebrating the day with everything green and Irish. Throughout the United States, Americans participate in long held traditions to honor the day Saint Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day comes complete with a traditional meal. In America, the day isn’t complete without corned beef and cabbage. Restaurants everywhere offer the meal throughout the day and grocery stores have special areas set up with all the fixings. Potatoes, cabbage, carrots and the requisite corned beef make for the perfect Saint Patrick’s Day dinner.

Cities and towns across the country honor the day with parades. From small town gatherings to the big cities that go all out, St. Patty’s Day parades are tradition. Chicago may take things the furthest, or perhaps the greenest, by turning the entire Chicago River green. A special mixture of vegetable dye is added to the water turning it the perfect shade of shamrock green.

Even beverages get special treatment for the day. McDonalds famous Shamrock Shake, a green and minty treat, is a favorite, especially with the kids. Adults enjoy a more ‘grown-up version’ – almost every bar across the country dyes their beer and lagers green for the day. Other favorite Saint Patrick’s Day drinks include Irish Whiskey and Irish coffee.

The clothes we wear on St. Patty’s day are special too. Bright, shamrock green is the color that rules the day. Irish sayings, leprechauns, shamrocks and other designs festoon t-shirts and almost everyone wears something green. Some younger people even dye their hair green for the day!

Another favorite tradition is kissing the Blarney Stone. While you are unlikely to get a chance to kiss the real stone, which is located within the walls of a castle in Ireland, bars and Irish-American clubs across the country create one just for St. Patrick’s Day. Legend has it that anyone that kisses the blue-green stone will be gifted with eloquence and good luck.

Almost all Americans are Irish on this day and everyone enjoys celebrating by singing traditional Irish songs. The most popular is, of course, Danny Boy, but other traditional Irish songs and toasts are heard throughout the day.

While St. Patrick’s Day was originally established as a religious holiday, today it is primarily seen as a secular holiday. Instead of celebrating the religious significance of the day, today it is a chance for Americans to unwind, celebrate and parade, often drunkenly, throughout the streets. One unfortunate side effect of this is an increase in accidents and DUI arrests, so many are choosing to implement a new tradition for the day, the St. Patrick’s Day Designated Driver!

However you choose to celebrate the day is sure to have fun and let your Irish out, if only for a little while!

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