March 06, 2007
American Customs of Celebrating St. Patricks Day
Here are a few Fun Facts about American customs of celebrating the day:
Festivities can begin up to a week before Saint Patrick’s Day. Many popular Irish entertainers go on tour at this time.
Colleges and universities have special Irish programs: poets, violinists: fiddlers, singers, dancers, actors, historians, storytellers and Celtic folklorists.
The highlight of the American celebration is the afternoon St. Paddy’s Day Parade in larger cities, such as New York, Chicago and Boston, which were the traditional settling places of the early Irish immigrants to America. Boston’s Parade is the oldest in this country and began in 1737.
Evenings are filled with dinners, dances, and celebrations in homes, restaurants, pubs, and Irish clubs. Many American bars serve green beer (a custom not shared in Ireland!)
Shamrock-shaped cookies are eaten by the ton and shamrocks are worn in pin form as well as other jewelry.
Many people also get into the spirit of the day by wearing green clothing and sending St. Patrick’s Day cards to friends and family. Green Mardi Gras beads are a new custom just appearing on the scene.
A final interesting fact about the people who started it all:
There are more Americans of Irish descent than the Irish. There are 4 million people on the island of Ireland and 40 million in the USA!