Ways St. Patrick’s Day is Celebrated in Ireland

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all around the world in a variety of different ways. For some, it’s an excuse to spend a little bit more time with a beer in your hand, others are gathering around with a variety of Irish foods. Some places even go as far as to hold massive parades and parties. People love celebrating the Irish on this day, even if they don’t have an ounce of Irish blood in their bodies. St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a day of partying, it’s an important holiday in Irish history. If you find yourself in Dublin or Belfast, you should know what you can expect on this special day for them. It’s time to find out how celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland really happens. Here is how St. Patrick’s Day is REALLY celebrated in Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day is a National Holiday in Ireland

St. Patrick’s Day is a bank holiday in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. Schools are closed and most businesses will be as well. Restaurants and bars will likely stay open, but they may change or reduce their hours on this day. Tourist cities and those catering to tourists on St. Patrick’s Day may extend their hours due to the influx of tourists and people visiting on this day. 

This is one of those St. Patrick’s Day Ireland facts that are important to know, especially if you want to visit St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin or any other location in Ireland at any point in time. 

You Can Visit All the Places Saint Patrick Went

Most people don’t know this, but Patrick is from Britain but was taken by Irish raiders and enslaved in Ireland at 16. He is not actually Irish. Throughout the country of Ireland, you’ll find a number of historic and religious sites where you can visit. Patrick’s Mountain or Croagh Patric is one of the most famous. It is said that Saint Patrick fasted there for 40 days, and a tiny chapel was established nearby in 1905.

Most St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations are Pretty Simple

The Irish have been observing this celebration for nearly 1,000 years, and they didn’t use to do it with parades and large festivals. The tradition of doing the Saint Paddy’s Day parade actually started in New York City! 

While most Irish families dance, drink and feast during the holiday, massive parties are mostly Irish-born settlers in the United States. Ireland has gradually adopted this attitude of celebration, and Dublin now holds a four-day festival in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day Parades in Ireland

As this holiday has gained more popularity around the world, the Irish have learned to embrace it a bit more, too! There are a number of activities that happen each year in Ireland.

In Dublin, they have a multi-day celebration where they go green, have a massive parade and host a large party for nearly five days straight.

One of my favorite towns to visit, Galway, celebrates with a parade and after-party, primarily made up of locals.

In Belfast, this day is celebrated around City Hall with a carnival parade, Irish Dancing and live music throughout the city.

Plenty of smaller towns and villages also have their own celebrations too. Many of them might host smaller-scale parades and celebrations with live music and dancing.

St. Paddy’s Day or St. Patty’s Day

While the day is taken from the Saint’s name Patrick, the name is most commonly abbreviated to St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland or Paddy’s Day for short. While most people refer to this as St Patty’s Day, this is actually not correct. This is thought to be because Patrick comes from the Irish name Pádraig. So naturally, a shortened version would include a D where Patrick has a T.

You’ll Find Soda Bread All Year, Not Just On This One Special Day

Irish soda bread is a staple during the St. Patrick’s Day month in America, however, these recipes date back all the way to the 1800s in Ireland. Soda bread and other recipes are eaten all year in Ireland and don’t just come out around the holiday. In fact, traditional soda bread doesn’t have as much butter and is more like brown bread without things like fruit and extras.

How Does Ireland Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

As you can see, the list of facts about encompasses how St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is celebrated. It’s a celebration and a holiday that is about tradition. If you want to travel and be a part of it, it’s certain to be an amazing time. 

As you can see, there are a lot of key differences in how St. Patrick’s day is celebrated in Ireland. While Ireland has started hosting more celebrations as America “goes bigger” you’ll find that a lot of the celebrations aren’t nearly what they are in the United States and around the world. However you choose to celebrate this Irish holiday, hopefully, these will give you some ideas of what to expect or how to celebrate like the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.