St.Patrick's Day Traditions

St. Patrick's Day (March 17) is a feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is originally a religious holiday and therefore traditional St. Patrick's Day celebrations begin with a church service, followed by festivities such as parades.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated both in Ireland and throughout the world, especially wherever there are large communities of Irish descent. It has become a way for of Irish descent to celebrate their culture and heritage.

St. Patrick's Day is a legal holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the overseas territory of Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is celebrated worldwide by the Irish, Scottish, and those of Celtic descent and increasingly by many of non-Irish descent.

Here are some activities typically associated with St. Patrick's Day:

Wearing Green:

You cannot celebrate St. Patrick's Day without wearing at least a bit of green. Popular accessories include green ties for men, and shamrock pins for women. Many Irish people wear a bunch of shamrock on their lapels or caps on this day, while children wear tricolour (green, white and orange) badges. Girls traditionally wore green ribbons in their hair. .Tradition says that wearing green on St Patrick's Day will bring you good luck. But if you are not wearing green on St Patrick's Day, you might get pinched as a punishment!

St. Patrick's Day Parades:

St Patrick's Day parades featuring elaborate floats are a big part of the celebrations. Small parades are held in almost every town in Ireland, with the biggest one held in Dublin. Large St. Patrick's Day parades are also held each year in Boston, New York, Manchester, and Montreal.

Drowning the shamrock

What better way to celebrate an austere religious figure like St. Patrick's Day than with drinking debauchery? One venerable tradition involves drowning a shamrock in Guiness Ale or Whiskey, by pouring the alcoholic liquid over it, draining the cup in a gultp, and then either eating the bozzy shamrock or throwing it over your shoulder.

Pinching People Who Don't Wear Green:

If you are a nonconforrmist who refuses to wear green on St. Paddy's Day, you run the risk of being pinched, often painfully, by other revellers. The idea is to teach you not to scorn Saint Patrick so that you either go home and change or at least know you'll learn your lesson and wear green next year. Our lawyers would like us to mention that we in no way endorse pinching random people based on their lack of green as this can land you in a lot of leagl trouble.

Wishing on Shamrocks and four-leaf clovers:

Shamrocks and four leaf clovers are considered a symbol of good luck and many superstitions surround them. Some beliefs include:

- if a girl hangs a four leaf clover in the doorway and she will marry the first man who enters, or if she wears a four leaf clover in the heel of her left shoe and she will end up marrying the first man you meet.