Countdown to St. Patrick's Day
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St. Patrick's Day
March 17, 2026
Everyone's Irish on March 17
St. Patrick's Day has this unique energy. It doesn't matter if you're actually Irish - on March 17, everyone wears green, everyone claims some distant Irish relative, and everyone has an opinion about Guinness.
This countdown exists because I kept forgetting to wear green and getting pinched. The visual reminder helps. Also useful for planning if you want to hit a parade or snag a reservation at an Irish pub.
Ways to Celebrate
There's more to St. Patrick's Day than just pub crawls (though those count too):
🎭 Parades
NYC hosts the largest (over 150,000 marchers), but most cities have their own. Bring something green to wave. It's surprisingly fun even if you're not Irish.
🍀 Traditional Music
Irish pubs often have live music on St. Patrick's Day. Even if you don't know the songs, the energy is infectious. The Dubliners are a good Spotify start.
🥘 Irish Food
Corned beef and cabbage, shepherd's pie, Irish soda bread. Cook something traditional, even if you've never tried it before. It's heartier than you'd expect.
🏠 Low-Key Options
Not into crowds? Irish movie marathon, learn about actual Irish history, or just wear green and call it done. No rules.
Things Most People Get Wrong
The Color Was Blue
Originally, St. Patrick's color was blue ("St. Patrick's Blue"). Green became associated with Ireland later through independence movements and the shamrock symbol.
Patrick Wasn't Irish
He was actually born in Roman Britain. Irish raiders kidnapped him as a teenager. He escaped, became a priest, and returned to Ireland as a missionary.
The Snake Story
Legend says Patrick drove all snakes out of Ireland. But Ireland never had snakes - it's been too cold since the last Ice Age. The "snakes" were probably a metaphor for paganism.
By The Numbers
- •34 million Americans claim Irish ancestry - about 7x Ireland's actual population.
- •$6.9 billion spent on St. Patrick's Day in the US. That's a lot of green beer.
- •Chicago River dyeing started in 1962. They use 40 pounds of orange dye (turns green in water).
- •13 million pints of Guinness consumed worldwide on March 17 - nearly double a normal day.