Strange St. Patrick's Day Traditions From Around the World
While there are only two countries where St. Patrick's Day is honored as an official holiday (Ireland and the Caribbean island of Montserrat), that doesn't stop people (especially beer drinkers) all over the world from celebrating it. Though far from its religious feast day origins in Ireland, the ever-more secular traditions surrounding St. Patty are as numerous as they are varied -- and none of them are dull.
Here are six of the lucky ways the saint's legacy is honored around the world:
1.) The Dyeing of the White House Lawn Fountain
Forty-fourth U.S. President Barack Obama and the first lady, Michelle Obama, had the fountain of the White House lawn dyed green for the first time in 2009. The president and the prime minster of Ireland met in honor of the strong Irish presence in the make-up of the United States -- including the genes of the president himself, whose ancestors in part hailed from the third largest island in Europe. Dyeing water green for St. Patrick's Day is not unique to Washington D.C., however; in Chicago, Illinois, an entire river flows emerald green!
Photo courtesy of shoppingblog.com
2.) The Chicago River
In 1962, the murky waters of the Chicago River were dyed a brilliant, bright hue of green. The tradition has continued every year since then, along with the city's annual parade. This photograph says it all:
Photo courtesy of girlmogul.com
3.) Montserrat
Not all St. Patrick's Days are focused on the saint himself. With about one half of the Caribbean island's residents with Irish and half with African ancestry, Montserrat hosts one of the only public holidays for St. Patrick's Day in the world, celebrating an unsuccessful slave uprising that occurred in 1768 on March 17th. Past celebrations have included recreations of slave villages, the preparation of traditional foods like "dookna," and the playing of games like "Zig Zag Zagget" (a game using cashew seeds).
Photo courtesy of John Cole and searchmontserrat.com
4.) Dublin, Ireland
The St. Patrick's festival in Dublin, Ireland's capital city, will be a five-day event in 2011 featuring the visual arts, music, comedy, film, plenty of spectacle, and a parade led by grand marshall Katie Taylor -- a world boxing champion! One of the more interesting features is a literary tie-in as the parade theme, which will feature performances based off of the short story "Brilliant" by Roddy Doyle.
Photo courtesy of irishjaunt.com
5.) Hot Springs, Arkansas
Billed as "The World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade," this celebration occurs on Hot Springs' 98-foot long Bridge Street and capitalized on its being named by "Ripley's Believe it or Not" as "The Shortest Street in the World." The parade features belly dancers, a group (that's right -- as in, multiple) of Elvis impersonators, and in 2011, hunky celebrity grand marshal John Corbett of "Sex and the City" fame!
Photo courtesy of mag.diddlyi.com
6.) O'Neill, Nebraska
The official "Irish Capital of Nebraska" has had an annual celebration of its Irish residents since 1976, its first featuring -- among other things -- a kangaroo court! Now, the lucky town attracts over 20,000 people for the happy day, which still includes a parade and dancing, but now (far from the world's shortest street) the "World's Largest Shamrock" gets painted right on the city's streets!
Photo courtesy of quiltcandy.com
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