Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
The Chicago River is dyed green each year for the St. Patrick's Day celebration, shown here in 2009.
Also called St Patrick's Day
St Paddy's Day
Patrick's Day
Paddy's Day
Observed by Irish people and people of Irish ancestry, non-Irish celebrants
Type National, Ethnic, Catholic
Date March 17
Observances Attending mass or service, attending parades, attending céilithe, wearing shamrocks, wearing green

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is a yearly holiday celebrated on the 17th of March. It is named after Saint Patrick (circa AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland. It began as a purely Catholic holiday and became an official feast day in the early 1600s. It has gradually become more of a secular celebration of Ireland's culture.

It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and a large, national multi day festival now takes place each year called St. Patrick's Festival. In Northern Ireland it is a bank holiday instead. The Northern Ireland Assembly has discussed this frequently but as of yet no decision has been made to make it a public holiday. It is a public holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat, among others.

Contents

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick (c. 387–461)
Main article: Saint Patrick

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave.[1] It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianize the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church.

Wearing of the green

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew.[2] Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.[3] He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.[4][5] In the 1798 rebellion, in hopes of making a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.[2] The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name.

Outside Ireland

In Argentina

In Argentina, and especially in Buenos Aires, all-night long parties are celebrated in designated streets, since the weather is comfortably warm in March. People dance and drink only beer throughout the night, until seven or eight in the morning, and although the tradition of mocking those who do not wear green does not exist, many people wear something green. In Buenos Aires, the party is held in the downtown street of Reconquista, where there are several Irish pubs;[6][7] in 2006, there were 50,000 people in this street and the pubs nearby.[8] Neither the Catholic Church nor the Irish community, the fifth largest in the world outside Ireland,[9] take part in the organization of the parties.

In Canada

Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in Montreal

The longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parade in Canada occurs each year in Montreal, the flag of which has a shamrock in one of its corners. The parades have been held in continuity since 1824.[10]

The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team was known as the Toronto St. Patricks from 1919 to 1927, and wore green jerseys. In 1999, when the Maple Leafs played on Hockey Night in Canada (national broadcast of the NHL) on Saint Patrick's Day, they wore the green St. Patrick's day-themed retro uniforms. There is a large parade in the city's downtown core that attracts over 100,000 spectators.

Some groups, notably Guinness, have lobbied to make Saint Patrick's Day a national holiday in Canada.[11] Currently, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the only jurisdiction in Canada where Saint Patrick's Day is a provincial holiday.

In March 2009, the Calgary Tower had changed its top exterior lights to new green-coloured CFL bulbs just in time for Saint Patrick's Day. The lights were in fact part of the environmental non-profit organization, Project Porchlight, and were Green to represent environmental concerns. Approximately 210 lights were changed in time for Saint Patrick's Day and almost resemble a Leprechaun's hat during the evening light. After a week, regular white CFLs took their place, saving the Calgary Tower around $12,000 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 104 metric tonnes in the process.[12]

In Great Britain

2006 St Patrick's Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square London

In Great Britain, the Queen Mother used to present bowls of shamrock flown over from Ireland to members of the Irish Guards, a regiment in the British Army consisting primarily of soldiers from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Guards still wear shamrock on this day, flown in from Ireland.[13]

Horse racing at the Cheltenham Festival attracts large numbers of Irish people, both residents of Britain and many who travel from Ireland, and usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day.[14]

Birmingham holds the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in Britain with a massive city centre parade[15] over a two mile (3 km) route through the city centre. The organisers describe it as the third biggest parade in the world after Dublin and New York.[16]

London, since 2002, has had an annual Saint Patrick's Day parade which takes place on weekends around the 17th, usually in Trafalgar Square. In 2008 the water in the Trafalgar Square fountains was dyed green.

Liverpool, a major port leading to the Irish Sea, has the highest proportion of residents of Irish ancestry of any English city. This has led to a long-standing celebration on St Patrick's Day in terms of music, cultural events and the parade.

Manchester hosts a two-week Irish festival in the weeks prior to St Patrick's Day. The festival includes an Irish Market based at the city's town hall which flies the Irish tricolour opposite the Union Flag, a large parade (claiming to be the biggest outside of Dublin and New York based on entrant and float numbers) as well as a large number of cultural and learning events throughout the two-week period. The festival promotes itself as the largest in the UK.[17]

The Scottish town of Coatbridge, where the majority of the town's population are of Irish descent, also has a St. Patrick's Day Festival which includes celebrations and parades in the town centre.

Glasgow began an annual Saint Patrick's Day parade and festival in 2007.

In Belfast it is mainly Catholics who attend the parade and festival although the council encourage other communities mainly Protestants to join in the celebrations and although the council do not allow the Flag of Ireland to be shown in the parade many viewers wave the flag. Most Protestants oppose the festival in Belfast.

In Montserrat

The tiny island of Montserrat, known as "Emerald Island of the Caribbean" because of its founding by Irish refugees from Saint Kitts and Nevis, is the only place in the world apart from Ireland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador where St Patrick's Day is a public holiday. The holiday commemorates a failed slave uprising that occurred on 17 March 1798.

In South Korea

Seoul(Capital city of South Korea) have celebrated Saint Patrick's Day since 2001 with Irish Association of Korea. The place of parade and festival has been moved from Itaewon and Daehangno to Cheonggyecheon.[18]

In New Zealand

Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in New Zealand - green items of clothing are traditionally worn and the streets are often filled with revellers drinking and making merry from early afternoon until late at night.

The Irish made a large impact in New Zealand's social, political and education systems, owing to the large numbers that emigrated there during the 1800s and Saint Patrick's Day is seen as a day to celebrate individual links to Ireland and Irish heritage.

In Japan

Saint Patrick's Parades are now held in 9 locations across Japan. The first parade, in Tokyo, was organized by The Irish Network Japan (INJ) in 1992. Nowadays Parades and other events related to Saint Patrick's Day spread across almost the entire month of March. It gets quite busy.

In the United States

The north White House fountain was dyed green in celebration of Saint Patrick's Day in 2009 and 2010.

Early celebrations

Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick's Day Parade in the colonies but the first recorded Saint Patrick's Day Parade in the world on 18 March 1737.[19] (The first parade in Ireland did not occur until 1931 in Dublin.) This parade in Boston involved Irish immigrant workers marching to make a political statement about how they were not happy with their low social status and their inability to obtain jobs in America. New York's first Saint Patrick's Day Parade was held on 17 March 1762 by Irish soldiers in the British Army.The first celebration of Saint Patrick's Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1766, the parades were held as political and social statements because the Irish immigrants were being treated unfairly.[20] In 1780, General George Washington, who commanded soldiers of Irish descent in the Continental Army, allowed his troops a holiday on 17 March “as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence."[21][22] This event became known as The St. Patrick's Day Encampment of 1780.[19]

Postcard postmarked 1912 in the United States

Irish patriotism in New York City continued to soar and the parade in New York City continued to grow. Irish aid societies were created like Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Hibernian Society and they marched in the parades too. Finally when many of these aid societies joined forces in 1848 the parade became not only the largest parade in the United States but one of the largest in the world.[23]

Customs today

Today, Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike, is one of the leading days for consumption of alcohol in the United States, and is typically one of the busiest days of the year for bars and restaurants. Many people, regardless of ethnic background, wear green clothing and items. Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched affectionately.[24]

Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges and had the idea to turn the river green for Saint Patrick's Day. Originally 100 pounds of vegetable dye was used to turn the river green for a whole week but now only forty pounds of dye is used and the colour only lasts for several hours.[2] Indianapolis also dyes its main canal green. Savannah dyes its downtown city fountains green. Missouri University of Science and Technology - St Pat's Board Alumni paint 12 city blocks kelly green with mops before the annual parade. In Jamestown, New York, the Chadakoin River (a small tributary that connects Conewango Creek with its source at Chautauqua Lake) is dyed green each year.

Columbia, SC dyes its fountain green in the area known as Five Points (a popular collegiate location near the University of South Carolina). A two day celebration is held over St Patrick's Day weekend. In Boston, Evacuation Day is celebrated as a public holiday for Suffolk County. While officially commemorating the British departure from Boston, it was made an official holiday after Saint Patrick's Day parades had been occurring in Boston for several decades, and is often believed to have been popularized because of its falling on the same day as Saint Patrick's Day.

In the Northeastern United States, peas are traditionally planted on Saint Patrick's Day.[25]

Parades

Many parades are held to celebrate the holiday. The longest-running of these are:

Saint Patrick's Day parade, San Francisco, 2007.
St. Patricks day parade in Grand Ledge, Michigan, 2008.

U.S. cities with major celebrations

Buffalo, New York

The city of Buffalo has two Saint Patrick's Day parades. The first is the "Old Neighborhood Parade," which is in its 17th year in 2010 and takes place in the city's historic Old First Ward in South Buffalo on the Saturday before Saint Patrick's Day. The older, larger "Buffalo St. Patrick's Day Parade" (in its 68th consecutive year in 2010) also takes place, usually on the Sunday before Saint Patrick's Day. That parade runs from Niagara Square along Delaware Avenue to North Street.[32] The Buffalo parade is the 3rd largest parade in New York State behind the New York City Parade and the Pearl River Parade.

Butte, Montana

Butte's mixed heritage and mining history brought in a large population of Irish immigrants. The yearly event brings in visitors from all over the world and doubles the city's population for the day. Butte has a long history of running a parade and concerts in the uptown area. There currently is not an open container law in Butte Montana and the event often becomes rowdy.

Dallas, Texas

Each year since 1981 a parade and after party has been held on Lower Greenville Avenue. The parade is held the Saturday before St. Patricks day with thousands of spectators and partiers lining the streets. It is the biggest St. Patrick's Day parade and festival in the Southwest. There is also a run before the parade on Greenville.

Hoboken, New Jersey

The New Jersey town of Hoboken has held an annual St. Patricks Day parade since 1986.[33] The parade takes place at 1 PM and marches down Washington Street from 14th Street to 1st Street.

Over the years, there has been much controversy surrounding the public intoxication during this event. The city has issued a zero tolerance policy, and has been inacting $2,000 minimum fines for any alcohol related offence.[34]

Holyoke, Massachusetts

This Western Mass factory town was the site of massive Irish immigration in the 19th Century, and hosts a Parade its organizers claim is the second largest in the United States. It is scheduled on the Sunday following Saint Patrick's Day each year. Attendance exceeds 300,000, with over 25,000 marchers, through a 2.3 mile route in this city of 40,000. A 10K road Race and many events create a remarkable festival weekend.[35] Each year an Irish-American who has distinguished himself or herself in their chosen profession is awarded the John F. Kennedy National Award. JFK was a National Award Winner in the 1958 Holyoke Parade. Other winners include author Tom Clancy, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, and actor Pat O'Brien [36]

Hot Springs, Arkansas

The Hot Springs, Arkansas parade is among world's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, held annually on historic Bridge Street, designated "The Shortest Street in the World" in the 1940s by Ripley’s Believe It or Not.[37][38]

Las Vegas, Nevada

The Southern Nevada, (formerly Las Vegas) Sons of Erin have put on a parade since 1966. It was formerly held on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, later moved to 4th street. Since 2005, the parade has been held in downtown Henderson. It is one of the biggest parades in the state of Nevada. It also consists of a three day festival, carnival and classic car show in Old Town Henderson.

New Orleans
Revelers vie for a tossed cabbage, New Orleans

Historically the largest entry port for Irish immigrants in the U.S. South, New Orleans has maintained a large population of Irish heritage, and Saint Patrick's Day traditions going back to the 19th century, including multiple block parties and parades.

The New Orleans parades are mostly based around neighborhood and community organizations. Major parades include the Irish Channel parade, the Downtown Irish Parade starting in the Bywater neighborhood, multiple parades in the French Quarter, and a combined Irish-Italian Parade celebrating both Saint Patrick's Day and Saint Joseph's Day. As with many parades in New Orleans, the influence of New Orleans Mardi Gras is apparent, with some of the floats being reused from local Carnival parades, and beads and trinkets being thrown to those along the parade route. New Orleans Saint Patrick's Day parades are also famous for throwing onions, carrots, cabbages, potatoes, and other ingredients for making an Irish stew.

Various suburbs and surrounding communities also hold celebrations, including parades in Metairie, Slidell, and an Irish Italian Isleño Parade in Chalmette.

New York City
Saint Patrick's Parade on Fifth Avenue, 1909

The New York parade has not only become the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the world but it is also the oldest civilian parade in the world.[39] In a typical year, 150,000 marchers participate in it, including bands, firefighters, military and police groups, county associations, emigrant societies, and social and cultural clubs, and 2 million spectators line the streets.[40] The parade marches up the 1.5 mile route along 5th Avenue in Manhattan, is a five hour procession, and is always led by the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment. The Commissioner of the parade always asks the Commanding Officer if the 69th is ready, to which the response is, "The 69th is always ready." New York politicians - or those running for office - are always found prominently marching in the parade. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch once proclaimed himself "Ed O'Koch" for the day, and he continued to don an Irish sweater and march every year up until 2003, even though he was no longer in office.

The parade is organized and run by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. For many years, the Saint Patrick's Day Parade was the primary public function of the organization. On occasion the order has appointed controversial Irish republican figures (some of whom were barred from the U.S.) to be its Grand Marshal. The parade has also drawn controversy for many years for its exclusion of openly gay organizations.[41][42][43][44][45] In 1989 Dorothy Hayden Cudahy became the first female Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick's Day Parade; in 1984 she had become the first woman, as well as the first American-born person, to be elected president of the County Kilkenny Association [1] [2].

Saint Patrick's Day celebration, Union Army. Irish Brigade holds a steeplechase race, March 17, 1863.

The New York parade is moved to the previous Saturday (16 March) in years where 17 March is a Sunday. The event also has been moved on the rare occasions when, due to Easter falling on a very early date, 17 March would land in Holy Week. This same scenario arose again in 2008, when Easter fell on March 23, but the festivities went ahead on their normal date and received record viewers.[46] In many other American cities (such as San Francisco), the parade is always held on the Sunday before 17 March, regardless of the liturgical calendar.

Pearl River, New York

Pearl River attracts a crowd of 100,000 people, making it the second largest parade in New York state behind the New York City Parade. The parade started in 1963.,[47]

Rolla, Missouri
St. Pat's Board Alumni paint Pine Street green

Rolla is home to the Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly known as University of Missouri-Rolla, and Missouri School of Mines), an engineering college. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of engineers, the school and town's celebrations start ten days before Saint Patrick's Day, with a downtown parade held the Saturday before Saint Patrick's. A royal court is crowned, and the streets in the city's downtown area are painted solid green. Each year's celebrations are said to be "The Best Ever." In 2008, Rolla celebrated its "100th Annual Best Ever St. Patrick's Day 2008" celebration.

In previous years, a pit of green liquid was made by students as part of the festivities, and named 'Alice' -- stepping into Alice was a rite of bravery. In recent years the university faculty has banned the practice out of health concerns.[48]

Savannah, Georgia

The parade organizers have claimed an expected attendance of around 400,000.[27] In 2006, the Tánaiste was featured in the parade. The parade travels through Savannah's Historic District. One tradition that has developed has been the official "dyeing of the fountains" which happens several days before the parade.

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Due to the rich history of Scranton participation in Saint Patrick's Day festivities it is one of the oldest and most populated parades in the United States. It has been going on annually since 1862 by the St. Patrick's Day Parade Association of Lackawanna County and the parade has gotten attention nationally as being one of the better Saint Patrick's Day parades. The parade route begins on Wyoming Ave. and loops up to Penn Ave. and then Lackawanna Ave. before going back down over Jefferson Ave. to get to Washington Ave. Scranton hosts the third largest Saint Patrick's Day Parade in the United States. In 2008, up to 150,000 people attended the parade.

Seattle, Washington
Seattle's Festál Irish Festival

Seattle Washington's Saint Patrick's Day Parade,[49] recognized by CNN in 2009 as one of the "Five places to get your green on" in America,[50] travels along a 1-mile route through the Emerald City's downtown financial and retail core the Saturday before Saint Patrick's Day. Seattle's Saint Patrick's Day Celebration is the largest and oldest in the Northwestern United States. In 2009, some 20,000 spectators and groups from throughout the Northwest turned out for the city's Irish shenanigans. Along with the annual "Laying 'O the Green" where Irish revellers mark the path of the next morning's procession with a mile-long green stripe, the Seattle parade marks the high-point of Seattle's Irish Week festivities. The week-long civic celebration organized by the city's Irish Heritage Club [3] includes the annual Society of the Friends of St. Patrick Dinner where a century-old Irish Shillelagh [51] has been passed to the group's new president for 70 years, an Irish Soda Bread Baking Contest, a Mass for Peace that brings together Catholics and others in a Protestant church, and the annual Irish Week Festival, which takes place around Saint Patrick's Day is enormous, including step dancing, food, historical and modern exhibitions, and Irish lessons. Many celebrities of Irish descent visit Seattle during it's Saint Patrick's Day Celebration. In 2010 The Right Honourable Desmond Guinness, a direct descendant of Guinness Brewery founder Arthur Guinness, will serve as the parade's grand marshal. In 2009, The Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien made a guest appearance at the annual Mayor's Proclamation Luncheon at local Irish haunt F.X. McCrory's. And in 2008, European Union Ambassador to the U.S. and former Irish Prime Minister John Bruton served as the parade's grand marshal and marched alongside Tom Costello, the mayor of Galway, Seattle's Irish sister city. There is also another Saint Patrick's Day Parade,that also takes place in Washington's eastern side of the state in Spokane.

Syracuse, New York

In the city of Syracuse, NY, Saint Patrick's celebrations are traditionally begun with the delivery of green beer to Coleman's Irish Pub on the first Sunday of March. Coleman's is located in the Tipperary Hill section of the city. Tipperary Hill is home to the World famous "Green-on-Top" Traffic Light and is historically the Irish section in Syracuse. Saint Patrick's Day is rung in at midnight with the painting of a Shamrock under the Green-Over-Red traffic light. Syracuse boasts the largest Saint Patrick's Day celebration per-capita in the United States with their annual Syracuse Saint Patrick's Parade,[52] founded by Nancy Duffy, an honoured journalist in the Central New York area and an active community leader, and Daniel F. Casey, a local Irishman and businessman. "The parade remains a major annual event, typically drawing an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 visitors to downtown Syracuse, as well as 5,000 to 6,000 marchers." [53]

Tallahassee, Florida

The Tallahassee Irish Society has been hosting an annual St. Patricks day event in Tallahassee since 1999. In 2010, along with the City of Tallahassee, the first annual St. Patricks Day parade and Downtown Get Down is being hosted along Adams Street.[54]

Sports-related celebrations

Baseball

Although Major League Baseball is still in its preseason spring training phase when Saint Patrick's Day rolls around, some teams celebrate by wearing holiday-themed uniforms. The Cincinnati Reds were the first team to ever wear Saint Patrick's Day hats in 1978. The Boston Red Sox were the second team to start wearing Saint Patrick's Day hats in 1990.[55] Many teams have since started wearing St. Patrick's day themed jerseys, including the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980s and Boston Red Sox in 2004.[56] Since then it has become a tradition of many sports teams to also wear special uniforms to celebrate the holiday. The Los Angeles Dodgers also have a history with the Irish-American community. With the O'Malley family owning the team and now Frank McCourt, the Dodgers have had team celebrations or worn green jerseys on Saint Patrick's Day.[57] The Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies also wear St. Patrick's Day caps and jerseys.[58] Other teams celebrate by wearing kelly green hats. These teams include: the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago White Sox, the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.[59] The Washington Nationals have fan green hat day on September 17 to represent 6 months to Saint Patrick's Day.

Nearly all MLB teams now produce Saint Patrick's Day merchandise, including Kelly green hats, jerseys, and t-shirts.[60]

Basketball

Between 15 and 17 March 2009, a number of NBA teams wore green jerseys in recognition of Saint Patrick's Day including the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks. The Boston Celtics, whose road jersey is green, wore a specially designed green and gold jersey.

Ice hockey

While no NHL teams currently don green jerseys during Saint Patrick's Day games, the league has offered a line of holiday-themed gear to its fans in recent years.[61]

Gaelic Games

Traditionally the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship are held on Saint Patrick's Day in Croke Park, Dublin. The Interprovincial Championship was previously held on March 17 but this was switched to games being played in Autumn.

Rugby Union

The Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup, Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup and Ulster Schools Senior Cup are held on Saint Patricks Day. The Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup is held on the weekend before Saint Patrick's Day.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Confession of St. Patrick". Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.ii.html. Retrieved 2010-03-10. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 History.com. History.com. http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/videos#green. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  3. ↑ The Wearing of the Green: A History of St. Patrick's Day. Routledge. 2002. ISBN 9780415180047. 
  4. ↑ "St. Patrick's Day: Fact vs. Fiction". p. 2. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0312_040312_stpatrick_2.html. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  5. ↑ "Holiday has history". http://www.csulb.edu/~d49er/spring00/news/v7n91-holiday.html. Retrieved 2009-03-21. 
  6. ↑ "Saint Patrick´s Day in Argentina". http://www.sanpatricio2009.com.ar/index.htm. 
  7. ↑ Saint Patrick´s Day in Argentina at YouTube. Retrieved on 2009-03-17.
  8. ↑ "Clarín newspaper". http://www.clarin.com/diario/2006/03/18/laciudad/h-06401.htm. 
  9. ↑ "The Irish Times special report". http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/magazine/articles/uhf_argentina1.htm. 
  10. ↑ "Celticfestvancouver.com". Celticfestvancouver.com. 2009-01-30. http://www.celticfestvancouver.com. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  11. ↑ "Guinness". Proposition 3-17. http://www.proposition317.com/Gateway.aspx. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  12. ↑ "Calgary Tower gets full green bulb treatment". Calgary Herald. http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+Tower+gets+full+green+bulb+treatment/1378992/story.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  13. ↑ "In pictures: St Patrick's Day around the world". 1st Battalion Irish Guards marching in a St Patrick"s Day parade held at the Victoria Barracks in Windsor (BBC). 17 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7949129.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  14. ↑ BBC News - The day the world turns green 14 March 1998
  15. ↑ "Connecting Histories - St Patrick's Day Parade". Search.connectinghistories.org.uk. 2006-03-12. http://www.search.connectinghistories.org.uk/engine/resource/exhibition/standard/default.asp?txtKeywords=parade&lstContext=&lstResourceType=&lstExhibitionType=&chkPurchaseVisible=&txtDateFrom=&txtDateTo=&originator=%2Fengine%2Fsearch%2Fdefault%5Fhndlr%2Easp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=24&text=0&resource=503. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  16. ↑ St. Patrick's Parade 2009 (2009-03-18). "BBC.co.uk". BBC.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2009/02/17/st_patricks_2009_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  17. ↑ "Manchester Irish Festival". Manchester Irish Festival. 2010-03-05. http://www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk/. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  18. ↑ "Saint Patrick's Day in Korea Event Page". Irish Association of Korea. http://www.iak.co.kr/event/event.php. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Saint Patrick’s Day". Encarta . Retrieved 19 March 2007.
  20. ↑ "March 17, 1756 in History." Brainy History. . Retrieved 17 March 2006.
  21. ↑ "Washington's St. Patrick's Day Ball". Iaci-usa.org. 2007-02-24. http://www.iaci-usa.org/washington.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  22. ↑ The original proclamation is available from the Library of Congress: page 1 - page 2
  23. ↑ "History.com". History.com. http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  24. ↑ "h2g2 - St Patrick's Day". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A273700. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  25. ↑ NYtimes.com
  26. ↑ "Stpattys.com". Stpattys.com. http://www.stpattys.com/st-patrick's-day-history.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Savannah, Georgia - Saint Patrick's Day Celebration
  28. ↑ "Saintpatricksparade.org". Saintpatricksparade.org. 2010-03-13. http://www.saintpatricksparade.org. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  29. ↑ Kunz, Virginia Brainard. Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years. Bookmen. p. 33. ISBN 0-9630690-0-4. 
  30. ↑ "History of Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day Parade." . Retrieved on 2006-10-05. .
  31. ↑ Kcirishparade.com
  32. ↑ Mentkowski, Aaron (2010-03-13). City prepares for weekend Saint Patrick's Day parades. WKBW-TV. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
  33. ↑ "History - Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade". Hobokensaintpatricksparade.org. http://www.hobokensaintpatricksparade.org/html/history.html. Retrieved 2010-06-06. 
  34. ↑ Jersey Journal file photo. "Hoboken Police Chief: 'Zero tolerance' on St. Patrick's Day doubles fines to $2,000 | - Hoboken Now". NJ.com. http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2010/02/hoboken_police_chief_addresses.html. Retrieved 2010-06-06. 
  35. ↑ Holyoke's St. Patrick's Day showcases more than Irish pride Associated Press
  36. ↑ Holyokestpatricksparade.com
  37. ↑ "Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade". Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. http://www.hotsprings.org/events_calendar/stpat_parade.aspx. Retrieved 15 March 2010. 
  38. ↑ http://southeasttourism.org/top20/top20_janmar10.html
  39. ↑ "History.com". History.com. http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/videos#nyc-st-patricks-day-parade. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  40. ↑ Hajela, Deepti, Associated Press article, March 18, 2008, New York City dateline ("The parade typically draws 2 million spectators and 150,000 marchers [...] New York boasts the nation's largest parade [...]")
  41. ↑ Chen, David W. (2009-03-16). "Quinn to Mark St. Patrick’s Day Elsewhere, New York Times, March 16, 2009". Cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/quinn-to-mark-st-patricks-day-elsewhere/?scp=1&sq=quinn%20gay%20patricks&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  42. ↑ Murphy, Dean E. (2001-03-03). "Inclusive St. Patrick's Parade Faces Exclusion New York Times, March 3, 2001". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/03/nyregion/inclusive-st-patrick-s-parade-faces-exclusion.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  43. ↑ Perez, Richard (1993-01-20). "St. Patrick Parade Sponsor May Quit Over Gay Dispute, New York Times, Jan 20, 1993". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DA153FF933A15752C0A965958260. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  44. ↑ Weber, Bruce (1992-03-17). "Judge Refuses to Order Gay Group Admitted to St. Patrick's Parade, New York Times, March 17, 1992". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE2D71F31F934A25750C0A964958260. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  45. ↑ Gray, Jerry (1991-03-08). "Gay Group Rebuffed in Bid To Join St. Patrick's Parade". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD9133DF93BA35750C0A967958260. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  46. ↑ St. Patrick's Day causing Catholic dilemma - CNN.com
  47. ↑ Easley, Hema. "St. Patrick's Day parade in Pearl River could attract 100,000". Lohud.com. http://m.lohud.com/news.jsp?key=341832&rc=lu. Retrieved 2010-03-16. 
  48. ↑ Careaga, Andrew (Winter 2007). "Go ask Alice? We would if we could". UMR Magazine Vol. 81 No. 4. mst.edu. http://magazine.mst.edu/2007/11/go_ask_alice_we_would_if_we_co.html. 
  49. ↑ Lacitis, Erik (2009-03-14). "NWsource.com". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008861238_parade15m.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  50. ↑ By Jessica Ravitz CNN (2009-03-10). "CNN.com". CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/03/09/st.patricks.day/index.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  51. ↑ "Seattle's shillelagh is still missing, but Conan O'Brien was in town! (updated)". Blog.seattlepi.com. http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/164141.asp. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  52. ↑ "Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade". Syracusestpatricksparade.org. 2010-03-13. http://www.syracusestpatricksparade.org/. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  53. ↑ "Nancy Duffy". http://www.tvjobs.com/cgi-bin/broadcast_obituaries.cgi?which=106. Retrieved 17 June 2008. 
  54. ↑ "Toast Paddy's Day with pipes, pints, parties". March 3, 2010. http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100317/ENT/303170001. 
  55. ↑ "The Official Site of The Boston Red Sox: News: Boston Red Sox News" . Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  56. ↑ "The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News" . Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  57. ↑ "Dodgers Auctions - LA Dodger's St. Patrick's Day Jersey". Dodgers.auction.mlb.com. 2007-11-25. http://dodgers.auction.mlb.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=88398501&prmenbr=51310409&aunbr=88745211. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  58. ↑ "St. Patrick's Day on Yahoo! News Photos" . Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  59. ↑ "Notes: Outing for Looper is a 'battle'". The Official Site of The St. Louis Cardinals. http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070317&content_id=1847212&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl. Retrieved 2007-05-29. "The Cardinals and Braves donned green caps Saturday in honor of St. Patrick's Day." 
  60. ↑ "MLB.com shop" . Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  61. ↑ Can the NHL rule St. Patrick's Day without embracing booze?

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