Global Celebrations for St Patrick’s Day Turn Streets a Vibrant Green

On St Patrick’s Day, people worldwide donned green attire to enliven the streets with festivities. In Dublin, hundreds of thousands gathered to witness Ireland’s iconic St Patrick’s Day parade, featuring 4,000 participants and 12 marching bands. Similar parades unfolded in cities across the country, such as Limerick and Cork.

In Northern Ireland, Belfast saw a vibrant parade drawing a huge turnout, with plenty of jubilation also seen in Derry, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Newry, and Ballycastle.

St Patrick’s Day, commemorating the death of Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, has transformed over more than a millennium from a religious observance into an international celebration of Irish culture, characterized by parades, music, dance, and the color green.

The holiday’s popularity, especially in the United States, led to the inception of the well-known parades witnessed today not only in Ireland but also in major US cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago, where the Chicago River is traditionally dyed green.

Other countries got into the spirit too, with the capital city of Lithuania, Vilnius, dyeing its Vilnelė River green in homage to the festivity, hosting a kayak parade as part of the celebrations.

In London, Princess Kate adorned her forest green coat and hat to join in the jubilee, partaking in half a pint of Guinness at Wellington Barracks with the Irish Guards. She presented shamrock sprigs and medals to the soldiers, marking her gradual return to public duties following a recent health scare.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/03/18/st-patricks-day-a-global-celebration-of-irish-culture