Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the 17th of March every year.
The
celebration became official in the seventeenth century and commemorates Saint Patrick, the patron
saint of Ireland, and the arrival
of Christianity in Ireland, as well as Irish culture and heritage in general. Common symbols of the day are the
colour green, shamrocks and leprechauns,
small creatures known from Irish
stories and legends. Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland,
Newfoundland and Labrador and the island of Montserrat, but is also celebrated
in Britain, Canada, the USA, Australia and Argentina and many other countries
around the world - even in Japan! Celebrations include parades, festivals and parties, as well as heavy eating and
drinking, done especially in Irish pubs. Many people dress in green for the
occasion. Some people also come up with
more unusual ways to pay tribute
to Saint Patrick and the Irish. In 2011, the water in the fountain in front of
the White House was coloured green on the 17th of March. In Chicago, USA, the
Chicago River is dyed green for
the occasion - imagine a bright green river flowing through the city centre!
Celebrations in Ireland
People around Ireland celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
because he is the saint patron of the country. There are parades in most towns
and villages. A week-long St. Patrick’s festival takes place in Dublin. It
includes a firework display, open-air music, and a traditional parade. St.
Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland started in the late 19th century.
Green is the colour of Ireland. Some people say that
you can find 40 shades of green in the Irish countryside. On St. Patrick’s Day
many people wear a bunch of shamrocks on their lapels or caps. In the past,
girls also wore green ribbons in their hair.
Celebrations in the USA
St. Patrick’s Day is not a national holiday in the
United States but it is a special day. The first celebrations of St. Patrick’s
Day in the American colonies took place in Boston in 1737. In New York City,
people celebrated this festival in 1756. Today the New York parade is the
largest parade in the world. In 2003, there were more than 150,000
participants, who marched up 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
Why do so many Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
Because many Americans have Irish origins. In the 1840s many people from
Ireland emigrated to the United States because they did not have enough food. Today,
the Irish people in the US remember their country.
WWW.trendphotos.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cMRsLS39AY
Chicago River is dyed green for St. Patrick's Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cMRsLS39AY
Chicago River is dyed green for St. Patrick's Day
Katarzyna
Bilska-Baran
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