Green clothes, green beer, even a green river in Chicago: millions of people celebrate St. Patrick's Day every year. But the holiday is not only an excuse to go over the top with alcohol – it plays an important role in Irish national pride.

What is the significance of St. Patrick's Day?

March 17 is the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. At least according to one story. According to another, Patrick is said to have "pulled the cold stone out of the water" in Ireland on March 17, ushering in spring. What is certain is that the holiday was introduced in honor of Patrick. However, there is hardly any reliable knowledge about the national saint: He was probably active as a missionary in Ireland in the 5th century, originally he came from Gaul. According to stories, he proselytized in Ireland for 30 years and thus contributed significantly to the establishment of Catholicism. The Church repeatedly offered refuge to the Catholic Irish during crises in the country, which is why they give the missionary work of Saint Patrick particularly high credit.

The three-leaf clover as a sign of the Irish

There are many legends surrounding the deeds of the patron saint. In Ireland, for example, there is said to have been a massive problem with snakes before his arrival, which he solved by driving them into the sea. Moreover, it was allegedly he who made the three-leaf clover the symbol of the Irish nation. Even such benevolent legends increased his popularity in the country, as the British Council explains on its website. Although it is now known that Patrick was probably neither born in Ireland, nor was his real name Patrick (he was born as "Maewyn Succat" and later called himself Patricius as a monk), this popularity is unbroken.

Surprisingly, the first St. Patrick's Day parade did not take place in Ireland, but in Boston in 1737. It was organized by Irish soldiers who were stationed in Boston for the English military and probably longed for their homeland. In Ireland, the first parade was celebrated in 1903.

Where St. Patrick's Day is celebrated

The best place to celebrate is, of course, the country of origin, Ireland. For Dublin, the "biggest parade ever" for St. Patrick's Day is announced this year on Tourism Ireland's website. Here, visitors can expect traditional Irish music with bagpipes and tin flute. But not only in Ireland, but also in many other countries, the holiday is very popular. According to the official American tourism website, 100,000 people celebrate him annually in San Francisco.

St. Patrick's Day parties in Munich and Frankfurt

In Munich, a festive parade for St. Patrick's Day took place on March 12 with over 1000 participants. Also in Frankfurt is celebrating: In the "o'reilly ́s" Irish Pub there is an event under the motto "Party Like yer Irish". In addition, the Batschkapp will celebrate on 23 March, where the folk-rock band Fiddler's Green will play a concert with Irish songs.

However, the date is not a public holiday in Germany. Only in Ireland and Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and a small Caribbean island called Montserrat, which used to be an Irish colony, is the holiday officially recognized.

Why is everything green on St. Patrick's Day?

The first thing that comes to mind for many people on St. Patrick's Day is the color green. Almost all revelers wear green garments, the city of Chicago even paints the Chicago River green. The colour has an important meaning for Ireland, not least the nickname "Emerald Isle" alludes to green gemstones. However, these do not occur in Ireland, instead the name is a symbol for the huge green spaces of the country. The Irish flag also contains the national colour and Irish folklore says that green clothing should give the wearer invisibility to malicious goblins.