St. Patrick's Day is one of those "holidays" that people all over the world celebrate, whether they have a drop of Irish DNA in them or not. For many non-Irish, this day is a bonified excuse to drink green brew from dusk until dawn. Aside from the Guinness and maybe some corned beef, most celebrators have no clue why St. Patrick's Day is observed or even who St. Patrick is.
For the real gist of how this favorite holiday should be celebrated, you will have to travel over to the Emerald Isle and get a hint at how the locals do it up. St. Patrick's Day in Ireland will still involve some beer, and definitely some partying, but also so much more. Check out these fifteen images of how St. Paddy's Day is celebrated in Ireland.
15 The Irish Really Know How To Get Down On St. Paddy's Day
While the Irish have deeper roots and context in regards to St. Paddy's Day, don't be mistaken, they are still going to turn up big time on the special holiday. While years ago, St. Patricks Day might have been celebrated with family and friends on a more low key level, recent decades have seen the day turn into a total party scene thanks to the beer industry.
14 The Country Is Packed With Festivals And Parades
Outside of Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is all about bar-hopping from morning till night, green clothes, green beverages and foods, and a good old time. Outside of this kind of action, not a whole lot more gets planned. In Ireland, locals enjoy music, parades, festivals, and all sorts of other activities that revolve around the holiday.
13 Staple Pubs Like The Temple Bar Are Ready For Round The Clock Action
In Ireland, rest assured that every single pub in the tiny country will be rocking throughout the day, actually probably throughout the week. Popular Irish pubs like The Temple Bar and The Stag's Head in Dublin, Tigh Neachtain's in Galway City, Mutton Lane Inn in Cork City, and The Crown in Belfast will be packed with brew-loving patrons.
12 The Irish Do Enjoy A Good Tune On Their Special Holiday
All sorts of tunes get belted out by the native Irish on their big holiday. Some sing praise to St. Patrick at Mass; others in the rural parts of the country sing tunes native to their region and in their tongue, and still plenty of others join in music at local parades and in taverns and pubs across the country.
11 There Will Be A Certain Adult Beverage Flowing Like A River
This country's locals are well known for their ability to put back a couple, and then a couple more, brewskies. Drinking Guinness is an absolute must for celebrating St. Paddy's Day in Ireland. Hoppy beverages flow like the river Nile, and you can get a cup pretty much everywhere you go. It would be almost sacrilegious to skip out on this timeless tradition.
10 The Hops There Aren't Green Like It Is In The States
Here in the states, and other parts of the world that like to piggyback on this fun, Irish holiday, green beer is served at almost every bar you seek out. Anyone who has ever partaken in a bit of brightly colored hops will tell you that it tastes no different, it's only food coloring. The folks of Ireland stick to their normally hued favorite drinks, no food coloring needed.
9 But The Dress Is Pretty Much The Same Level Of Over The Top
While lots of differences exist between celebrating St. Paddy's Day on the Emerald Isle and celebrating it abroad, one similarity remains the same regardless of where you are. People really like to dress up in green for this special day. Green wasn't always the color of the day, though. People used to don blue instead.
8 Dubliners Celebrate For Four Days
Most parts of the world delegate one day to St. Patrick's Day, and for most people, that single day is plenty! The Irish need more than 24 hours to pay due diligence to their great day, and often start the festivities before March 17th. For many Irish, St. Paddy's Day is more like St. Paddy's Week!
7 It's A National Holiday, So Pretty Much Everyone Has The Day Off
Man! What we party-loving Yankees wouldn't give to have every March 17th off of work. Over here, across the pond from Ireland, you have to put in for time off way in advance or get really lucky with scheduling if you want this day free of responsibility. Over there, St. Paddy's Day is a National Holiday, so most people don't have to clock in. Even the banks are closed.
6 Parades Are Full Of Lore And History, Not Just Debauchery
This holiday is based partly on lore, so of course, for the Irish, there is bound to be much storytelling come March 17th. Nearly every city on the island holds some sort of parade, and dancing and music can be heard in all directions. A lot more goes into the tradition and historical aspect of St Patrick in Ireland than it does in other parts of the world.
5 The Irish Will Dance Their Faces Off Once A Year To Be Sure
On March 17th, you can walk into any bar across the U.S. and see a crowd of inebriated folks dancing to whatever is playing on the radio. The dancing that occurs on St. Paddy's Day in Ireland is a lot more legit than it might be elsewhere. Think costumes, choreographing, and hopping along the streets.
Related: 19 Stunning Photos Of Ireland That Show It's A Travel Destination Deserving Of More Hype
4 A Guinness Is A Must
There is no greater pairing than Ireland and Guinness beer. Guinness is the peanut butter to Ireland's jelly. No true St. Patrick's Day celebration on the Emerald Isle would be complete without at least a few of these bad boys in hand. The true Irish will always reach for one of these come March 17th.
3 Some Irish Remember The Holiday's Roots
Here, we would never dream of starting off our St. Patrick's Day with a trip to the local church to pay homage to a patron Saint, but in Ireland, this is precisely how many Irish start their yearly celebration. St Patrick's Day started as a devotion to the pious man who supposedly delivered the island from treacherous snakes, so the day actually has roots in religion.
Related: See Ireland Like A Local: Here's What The Perfect Itinerary Looks Like
2 The Young And Old Gather To Celebrate
Because St. Paddy's Day is often affiliated with drinking and partying, we here in the states tend to think of this holiday as more of an adult-based day. In Ireland, it is fun for the elderly and young alike. All of the people of Ireland enjoy the festivities. Because the country has so much going on during this March celebration, kids can partake in many aspects of the events.
1 There Will Be No Rest For These Irish Holiday Lovers
In Ireland, skipping out on the festivities is not really an option. If you have Irish running through your veins, then you are going to don your green drink your Guinness among friends and make some merriment no matter what. Not everyone in other countries puts forth great effort on March 17th, but over in Ireland, everyone enjoys this holiday.