St Patrick’s Day is a traditional Irish holiday, celebrated on March 17 each year. On this occasion, people dress in green, the color representing the nature of the Irish landscapes.
A festival celebrated around the world, it stands out with parades like in Dublin where we also attend fireworks, treasure hunts and dance and music shows where everyone wears a shamrock on their chest as well. as the leprechaun hat, a little man dressed in green and a shoemaker’s apron, from Irish folklore. But it is in New York that the largest parade in the world takes place. It takes place on 5th Avenue and welcomes several hundred thousand participants each year since 1762.
Who was St Patrick?
The founder of Christianity in Ireland, St Patrick was kidnapped in the 4th century by pirates and sold into slavery to Irish Druids. Having become a shepherd, he then escaped to the Normandy coast. After studying theology to become a priest, he lived for 2 years in the monastery on the Lerins islands. In 411, Pope Celestine I ordered him to return to Ireland to evangelize the inhabitants. He died on March 17, 461 and his death has been celebrated since that day.
To celebrate St Patrick’s Day, it was originally necessary to wear blue but today, it is customary to dress in green from head to toe on this day. Green is the color of the clover, the symbol of Ireland. Little by little, this tradition is reverberating around the world, creating « Global Greening » by illuminating the world’s most famous monuments. Today, you have to wear green, eat and drink Irish specialties like Irish stew (mutton stew) or Shepherds pie (Irish shepherd’s pie), drink whiskey or the famous Guinness beer. This day is an opportunity to listen to Irish music and spend some time in a pub while taking part in a parade or procession. The largest are found in Cork, Belfast or Galway, in addition to Dublin. St Patrick’s Day is a true immersion in Irish culture. In France, we celebrate this friendly festival in around ten large cities (Paris, Rennes, Tours, Angers, Toulouse, Montpellier, Lille, Dijon, Bordeaux and Lyon) and 33 pubs. Celtic music and traditional outfits animate these festivals offering games, gifts and whiskey tastings such as « ginger paddy » composed of ginger ale, lemon slice and ice.
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