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The date of the feast is
occasionally moved by church
authorities when March 17
falls during Holy Week; this
last happened in 1940 when
Saint Patrick's Day was observed
on 3 April in order to avoid
it coinciding with Palm Sunday,
and will happen again in 2008,
when it shall be held on 15
March for the novus ordo liturgy
and April 2 for the traditional
Latin Mass to avoid the second
day in Holy Week.
An Overview
of Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated
worldwide by Irish people
and increasingly by non-Irish
people, as well (usually in
Australia, North America,
and Ireland). Hence the phrase,
"Everyone wants to be
Irish on St. Patrick's Day."
Celebrations are generally
themed around the color green
and all things Irish; both
Christians and non-Christians
celebrate the secular version
of the holiday by wearing
green or orange, eating Irish
food and/or green foods, imbibing
Irish drink (usually Guinness),
and attending parades.
The St. Patrick's Day parade
in Dublin, Ireland is part
of a five-day festival; over
500,000 people attended the
2006 parade. The largest St.
Patrick's Day parade is held
in New York City and it is
watched by over 2 million
spectators. The St. Patrick's
Day parade was first held
in Boston in 1737, organized
by the Charitable Irish Society.
New York's celebration began
on 17 March 1762 when Irish
soldiers in the British army
marched through the city.
The predominantly French-speaking
Canadian city of Montréal,
in the province of Québec
is the oldest Saint Patrick's
day parade in North America.
The city's flag has the Irish
emblem, the shamrock, in one
of its corners. Ireland's
cities all hold their own
parades and festivals. These
cities include Dublin, Cork,
Belfast, Derry, Galway, Kilkenny,
Limerick, and Waterford. Parades
also take place in other Irish
towns and villages.
Other large parades include
those in Savannah, Georgia,
New London, Wisconsin (which
changes its name to New Dublin
the week of St. Patrick's
Day), Dallas, Cleveland, Manchester,
Birmingham, London, Coatbridge,
Montreal (the longest continually
running St. Patrick's Day
parade, celebrating its 183rd
consecutive parade in 2007),
Jackson, Mississippi, Boston,
Houston, Chicago, Cincinnati,
Kansas City, Rolla,Philadelphia,
Indianapolis, Pittsburgh,
Denver, St. Paul, Sacramento,
San Francisco, Scranton, Seattle,
Butte, Detroit, Toronto, Vancouver,
Syracuse, Newport, Holyoke
and throughout much of the
Western world. The parade
held in Sydney, Australia
is recorded as being the largest
in the Southern Hemisphere.
As well as being a celebration
of Irish culture, Saint Patrick's
Day is a Christian festival
celebrated in the Catholic
Church, the Church of Ireland,
and some other denominations.
The day always falls in the
season of Lent. Some bishops
will grant an indult, or release,
from the Friday no-meat observance
when St. Patrick's Day falls
on a Friday; this is sometimes
colloquially known as a "corned-beef
indult". When 17 March
falls on a Sunday, church
calendars (though rarely secular
ones) move Saint Patrick's
Day to the following Monday—and
when the 17th falls during
Holy Week (very rarely), the
observance can be moved to
the previous week or all the
way to April, after Easter.
In many parts of North America,
Britain, and Australia expatriate
Irish, those of Irish descent,
and ever-growing crowds of
people with no Irish connections
but who may proclaim themselves
"Irish for a day"
also celebrate St. Patrick's
Day, usually by drinking larger
amounts of alcoholic beverages
(lager dyed green, Irish beer
and stout, such as Murphys,
Beamish, Smithwicks, Harp
or Guinness, or Irish whiskey,
Irish cider, Irish coffee,
or Baileys Irish Cream) than
they normally would, and by
wearing green-coloured clothing.
The eating of Irish soda bread
(which is sold in supermarkets
for the occasion, but not
sold during the rest of the
year except in specialty stores)
is also common. Some recent
American twists on the holiday,
reflecting its growing popularity
among the non-Irish, are the
making and selling of green
bagels and popcorn on and
near the day.
2007 marked the first annual
St. Patrick's Day parade and
festival in the Scottish city
of Glasgow. Despite Glasgow
having a large Irish community,
a parade was never thought
feasible due to potential
sectarian issues.Saint Patricks
day is when of the best times
in the year.
:: Official
St. Patrick's Festival 2008
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