St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17th March and has been observed by the Irish as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. It falls during the Christian season of Lent and, traditionally, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lent fasting was put aside and people would dance, drink and feast – on the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage!
Nowadays, St Patrick’s Day is celebrated by Irish communities all over the world and has become an integral part of Irish culture. For most people, it’s one big party, combining the traditions of wearing shamrocks, going to the pub, drinking Guinness, eating Irish stew, and singing and dancing.
And where better to celebrate than in Ireland itself!? We investigated what’s happening this year…
From 16th to 20th March, Dublin transforms into one giant festival, attracting 1.5 million visitors with music, film, visual arts and a wide array of family-friendly events on the schedule.
The official celebrations in Cork are also packed with child-friendly events, along with a showcase of artisan food and handicrafts. This year’s theme is happiness.
In Northern Ireland, the theme for 2011 in Belfast is the environment. Like other Irish cities, it has a huge carnival parade and any number of activities especially for St Patrick’s Day.
Wherever you are, be sure to wear something green and, as the Irish say, sláinte!
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Senka
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