St. Patrick’s Day 2010 in London

On March 17, 2010, Irish people around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In London festivities in honour of the saint are held on a grand scale year after year, too.

St. Patrick’s Day: the biggest holiday for the Irish

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17 in memory of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, the first Christian missionary in Ireland. His feast day is celebrated around the world, as it is in London, by Irish people, Irish emigrants and their descendants, and increasingly by non-Irish people as well. In Ireland’s capital, Dublin, and most other Irish cities, magnificent processions and large parades take place on St. Patrick’s Day. The day is one huge celebration throughout Ireland. Outside the Emerald Isle, the largest parades in honour of Saint Patrick take place in Manchester, New York, New Orleans, Chicago, London and Savannah.

Going green: the defining colour of St. Patrick’s Day

On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, the Irish colour is everywhere: green dominates celebrations of the day around the world. In some cities, this goes so far that, for example, the river water is dyed green in Chicago. Even beer doesn’t escape the green treatment: in some cities, the otherwise golden brew is dyed green, too.

A considerable number of Irish men and women live in London, so it is no wonder that green is the dominant colour in the British capital every year on March 17, with parades and celebrations held in honour of Saint Patrick.