The main reason for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day has to do with religion; but in Boston, we take a somewhat different approach to the celebration of this holiday.
The story of St. Patrick is as follows: The Irish have observed March 17 as a religious holiday and the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick (the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland) and have done so for over 1,000 years. Technically, the purpose of St. Patrick’s Day is to commemorate the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death which happened in the fifth century. He was born in Roman Britain, kidnapped at age 16 where he was brought to Ireland to work as a slave. He later escaped and was credited with bringing Christianity back to Ireland when he arrived.
Traditionally on this day Irish families will attend church in the morning and then celebrate later on in the afternoon. During their celebration, the Irish would dance, drink and feast…now is this starting to sound more familiar? Again, this holiday may have religious underpinnings, but the majorly spirited celebration of this day every March is what we truly look forward to.
The first parade to celebrate this event was actually held in the U.S. in 1792 when Irish soldiers serving in the English military celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in New York City. Over the years, Irish patriotism has flourished among Americans and different Irish organizations have produced annual parades in honor of St. Patrick.
In Boston, we have our own way of celebrating. Each year, the Allied War Veterans Council brings the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade to life. Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is listed as the second largest parade in the country as it is viewed by between 600,000 and 1 million people each year. The parade is for all ages and, as always, is something that numerous people in and around Boston look forward to every year. After all, where else would you have an Irish themed parade other than in South Boston? There will be plenty of people in attendance to celebrate their Irish heritage, or it can be a time just to simply get in the spirit of St. Patrick’s day; even if you aren’t Irish. There will be plenty of green, bagpipes, colorful floats, marching bands, and music to keep you entertained during the parade. Since 1901 this parade has been an integral part of South Boston’s history so you don’t want to miss this amazingly fun annual event that thousands look forward to each year.
Also, for all you older St. Patrick’s Day fans over 21, the producers of The World’s Largest Pub Crawls are hosting the 4th annual Luck of the Irish St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl in Boston. It starts on Saturday, March 17 at 12pm. There is also a Happy Hour Saint Paddy’s Pub Crawl in Boston on Friday, March 16 at 5:00pm. On Sunday, March, 18 there is the Hangover Saint Paddy’s Pub Crawl starting at 12:00p. This gives you an excuse to spend an entire weekend in Boston going from bar to bar to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day all weekend! Meet new people, visit some of Boston’s greatest bars, and have an amazing time on St. Patrick’s Day which is sure to be filled with a LOT of green, four leaf clovers, great beer, great friends, and great times.
As you know, Boston is known for having some of the best Irish pubs around. Check them out this St. Patrick’s Day and take your own little adventure and try going to someplace new you haven’t been to before!
So, get your BEST green outfit together for St. Patrick’s Day, get spirited, and head on over to Boston for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is a day full of lots of family fun and entertainment…and going to a Boston Irish pub for a couple beers with friends and family wouldn't hurt either!
