St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that was originally celebrated in Ireland with religious services in honor of St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints. He was a famous missionary known for using  a three-leaf clover to help explain the idea of the Christian belief in God: as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Irish immigrants brought this holiday to America, it eventually evolved into a secular celebration.

1. In Portland, Maine, those who brave the icy Atlantic Ocean at 5:30 am enjoy a free Irish breakfast, along with a raffle and live auction. All the proceeds from the event go to charity. 
2. In California, many times the ‘leprechauns’ will dye milk green. Many wear green to avoid getting pinched. In many cities, they have parades with pots of gold coins.
3. A Caribbean island called Montserrat has been home to an Irish Catholic population since the 17th century. The St. Patrick’s Day celebration lasts for 10 days. In addition to celebrating for over a week, they commemorate a slave rebellion and a calypso competition.  
4. In New London, ‘leprechauns’ crawl around the city, changing all the signs to “New Dublin” for the day, even on the highway. The people dressed up as leprechauns go on to visit hospitals and schools.
5. When King Henry VIII, king of England at the time, declared himself the King of Ireland in the 16th century, blue became the color of choice. To this day, Ireland wears blue on St. Patrick’s Day instead of green.
6. In Hot Springs, Arkansas, the world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on a road that is only 98 feet long. This parade includes Elvis impersonations and a Blarney Stone kissing contest.
7. Unlike Ireland, New York celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by having a massive parade with approximately 150,000 marchers and 200 million spectators. It goes from 44th Street all the way to 79th Street, the pride goes for about 2.4 kilometers (about 1.5 miles).
8. Special Irish sports like Gaelic football are played in Brussels, Belgium. After the games, players visit the black tie St. Patrick’s Day Ball where they can propose a toast during a reception with green champagne.
9. In Ise, Japan, they dedicate a parade specifically to a Shinto sun goddess. The Japanese fly Irish flags, dress up as leprechauns and play bagpipes. The day finishes with an oyster festival.
10. Apparently, St. Patrick’s Day is even more international than we thought. In 2013, a Canadian astronaut wore green and took a photo of Ireland from space. Another astronaut, Cady Coleman from NASA, celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by playing a 100-year-old Irish flute solo.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in so many unique ways around the world. The day is full of enjoyable traditions: parades, floats, leprechauns, chocolate coins, green milk, raffles, charities, impressions and games. All these traditions are unique to the people who enjoy them. So how do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?