To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (or St. Paddy’s Day), you could go to Munich, Germany, home to one of mainland Europe’s largest celebrations. The first parade in Munich took place in 1996, with 3,000 guests attending (there were only 200 expected!), and has grown every year since. This year, the parade is on Sunday, March 16th, with lots of dancing and singing!
Dublin, Ireland hosts a three-day festival, programs throughout the country that are filled with music, sports, and poetry, as well as a St. Patrick pilgrimage (a pilgrimage is a long journey to a holy place) to celebrate the national holiday. After celebrating, locals tend to spend time with friends and family and eat class dishes like fish and chips, oysters, or boxty – potato pancakes.
In the U.S., one of the most notable celebrations occurs in Chicago, Illinois, where the Chicago Plumbers Local 130 union dye the Chicago River green! This tradition has been going on since 1961, when Stephen Bailey (business manager at the time) noticed that overalls worn by plumbers were dyed a bright shade of green. The dye was originally used for plumbers to spot sewage leaks, but now it’s also used to dye the river green in honor of St. Paddy’s Day!
