There are many different ways to celebrate holidays in New York City. You can literally feel the holiday spirit present in the hearts of those you pass by on the streets. The light-poles are decorated and shop-keepers display wonderful decorations in their stores to help attract customers and celebrate the holiday at hand. One of the most popular means of celebration is to throw a parade and nearly every holiday that is celebrated in New York City has a celebratory parade.
Saint Patrick Day, (affectionately referred to as “St. Pattie’s Day”) is no different, because of the diversity of the Big Apple there are many Irish residents who have lineage that traces back to the emerald isle. New immigrants come each year and bring along with them their traditions, adding to the traditions that were brought by their forefathers in the original colonization of New York City.
Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday that is usually celebrated in the middle of the month of March. It gets its namesake from Saint Patrick, who is one of the most popular patron saints of Ireland. The holiday initially was only celebrated by Catholic religious worshipers by became an official National holiday during the early 17th century. Today, it has come to be known as a celebration of Irish culture and from the skyscrapers to the streets everything imaginable is decked-out in green trimmings. You can find things like green beer, green pretzels, green eggs and ham, green bagels and a host of other green items that help to usher in the holiday spirit and add to the wonderful experience of St. Patrick’s Day in the city.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City is one of the largest parades to celebrate this holiday worldwide. It also bears the honor of being one of the oldest parades that are practiced by civilians on a yearly basis. Typically nearly 200,000 volunteers march in elaborate and ornate costumes. The brigade includes members from many service organizations such as bands, police and military, firefighters, various social organizations, emigrant societies and other cultural clubs. The event draws a crowd of more than 2 million people every year who come out to see the wonderful parade, while on TV many more people watch and celebrate. The Parade is an all day event and lasts nearly 5 hours as the marchers trek along the route of Fifth Avenue.
If you are planning on visiting New York City during the month of March, be sure to plan your trip so that you can come and see the parade and take plenty of pictures. You can even wear a costume if you desire! It’s a great way to spend the day with the kids and create a lasting memory that you and your loved ones can laugh about for years to come.
