St. Patrick’s Day is a day of typical green celebration, from shamrocks and leprechauns to beer and happiness. Dublin and Belfast and international Irish strongholds like New York City and Boston offer some of the world’s largest and best St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
However, on March 17, you might find a surprising number of locations that get into the Irish mood. Discover the six most unexpected places that go all out for St. Patrick’s Day every year, from the Caribbean to Japan.
Montserrat, Caribbean
The fact that the tiny island in the Caribbean known as Montserrat hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the globe may surprise you. The whole event is a lively 10-day festival, and it is the only country in the world save Ireland to officially recognize Saint Patrick’s Day as a holiday. Montserrat is sometimes called the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean” because of its lush vegetation. The question is how the influence of the Irish extended all the way to the Caribbean.
In 1632, Irish Catholics were the first people to settle on the island. Sir Thomas Warner, the British governor of the neighboring island of Saint Kitts, ordered them there. The Irish Catholics planted profound cultural roots, which continue to exert an influence even in modern times on the island. However, the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities on the island of Montserrat also commemorate the first slave uprising, which occurred in the 18th century when slaves rebelled against their Irish masters. Even though they were ultimately unsuccessful in their bid for independence, this celebration honors the rebels by paying tribute to their efforts while commemorating the island’s rich Irish heritage.
Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Montserrat are also highly distinctive because they combine elements of Caribbean, African, and Irish ancestry and customs. The streets will be filled with hundreds of people wearing tall green leprechaun hats. There will be a kite festival, a calypso competition, costume parades, concerts, a freedom run and walk, Irish dancing, and whip-cracking. In addition, if you come during the event, you can obtain a stamp in the shape of a shamrock placed in your passport.
Orleans, Louisiana
In 2020, 31.5 million Americans (9.7%) identified as Irish. With those numbers, they know how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. You’ve seen New York’s massive parades and Chicago’s emerald river… Did New Orleans also host a gigantic St. Patrick’s Day party?
New Orleans is famous for Mardi Gras and partying. The city goes all out for St. Patrick’s Day. Block parties and street parades feature green-costumed dancers, floats, and music. “Throw me something, Mister!” may get flowers and beads from the paraders. Beware of unsuspecting cabbages, onions, potatoes, and moon pies!
Belgium’s Brussels
It’s St. Patrick’s Day when the famous statue Mannekin Pis, located in the heart of Brussels, dons an Irish outfit consisting of a cable-knit Aran pullover, tweed pants, and a hat. St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in Belgium, where there are between 10,000 and 15,000 Irish residents.
Grand ceremonies include an annual reception at the Irish Embassy in Belgium. On March 17, visit Parc du Cinquantenaire for a full day of Irish customs. You can play hurling, camogie, or traditional Gaelic football, or put on your dancing shoes and try Irish dancing. You can also let the experts handle it; they’ll put on a show later. In honor of the Emerald Isle, the Grand Palace and other national landmarks will also be lit in green.
Japan, Tokyo
Despite being nearly 9,500 kilometers from Ireland, Tokyo hosts Asia’s largest Irish celebration. Since 1992, the Japanese capital has hosted a stunning two-day St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza. It all started when the Irish Network of Japan and the Embassy of Ireland joined to bring Irish culture to Japan.
Today, the parades and costumed street gatherings attract hundreds of thousands. The city also starts early, with the “I Love Ireland Festival” at Yoyogi Park on March 16 and 17. St. Patrick’s Day revelers will enjoy two days of Irish food, drinking, traditional costumes, Irish dancers, and music from morning to night.
Montreal, Canada
The St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Montreal is one of the oldest Irish celebrations in Canada and North America. The first festival was conducted in 1824, nearly two centuries ago, and it grows yearly.
On March 17, the metropolis is expected to turn green for the day. There will be an enormous parade with floats, bagpipes, performers, marching bands, and a giant St. Patrick. It is one of the best places to observe St. Patrick’s Day, with tens of thousands of spectators donning green shamrocks and Irish attire.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The number of Irish people living in Argentina is the fifth biggest in the world and the largest in South America. When you add this to the well-known fact that Argentines love carnivals, it makes sense that St. Patrick’s Day in Buenos Aires is a week-long party. Fiesta de San Patricio is one of the biggest Irish celebrations in South America. There will be colorful parades, live music, and a costume contest with many leprechauns, fairies, and elves dancing through the streets.
It’s a beautiful mix of Irish and Argentinian culture and energy, and it’s all about music, dancing, eating, and drinking. Even though it’s easy to find Guinness in one of the city’s Irish pubs, you can also count on the tremendous Argentinian beers to keep you going during the celebrations. Sláinte!
What do you do on St. Patrick’s Day? Tell us in the comments section below!
