Saint Patrick’s Day is a traditional and religious celebration in honor and remembrance of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. On March 17th every year, people across the world, Irish or not, celebrate the patron saint of Ireland in many different ways. When speaking to different people, you often hear that this day is extremely looked forward to. Many people even claim that it is one of the best holidays throughout the year. A day of celebration across the world, Saint Patrick’s Day brings together people with a common denominator- a celebration of Irish heritage and another day to have loads of fun.
Across the world, you find people dressed head to toe in green with celebratory beads around their necks. The Armadillo, a famous auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland, along with the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janiero, Brazil, and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, turns green in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day. In the United States of America, major city streets are lined with people bundled up in their Irish gear for parades where Irish dancers and Irish societies strut down the streets in celebration of Irish heritage and Saint Patrick.
In Philadelphia, Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest celebrated holidays in the city. People of all ages head out of their homes and celebrate. But, what are these celebrations and where can you find them in and around the Philadelphia area?
The biggest celebration that you will see in Philadelphia for Saint Patrick’s Day is the parade. The parade, which takes place on March 12, begins at noon and goes until around 3 p.m. This is where you will find people of all ages lining the streets decked out in their green Irish gear celebrating Saint Patrick’s day. Babies, children and adults take place in this festivity with wide smiles on their faces.
Victoria Marchiani, junior education major, said that although she is extremely Italian, Saint Patrick’s Day is one of her favorite holidays. “Parade day is one of my favorite days of the year. Having family from South Philadelphia, we get up extremely early and begin the festivities, while eating yummy Irish potatoes and listening to Irish bands play to prepare us for the day.”
Although Marchiani favors the day of the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, others favor different celebrations. As a recent twenty-one-year-old, junior accounting major Sara Devita enjoys the Official Erin Express Crawl. “It’s a really fun experience, especially after seeing older people doing it for so long and always wondering how it was. It’s a really fun time.” Devita looks forward to next year’s Erin Express already.
No matter what age you are, there are fun Saint Patrick’s Day activities in the city of Philadelphia for you to partake in. Whether it be to get active and take part in the Leprechaun Run or spending the night with good friends at Philly’s Xfinity Live! listening to live music, there is something to do for this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. For more information on Saint Patrick’s Day events in the Philadelphia area, go to www.philadelphiastpatsparade.com.
