March 17th is St. Patrick's Day.  This day started as a religious day to honor the Irish saint, but now has become a big celebration world wide.

In the 1840s when Irish people in big numbers moved to North America, they honored St. Patrick as way to have an identity and maintain their culture.  Soon the local culture absorbed the holiday and it is now a popular day across North America. 

Due to American influence, may places around the world celebrate this holiday.  While Boston and New York have the largest St. Patrick's Day parades, many cities, like Tokyo, around the world have parades too.  For the last 23 years Tokyo has had these parades.

Since green is the color of St. Patrick's Day, some cities color their rivers green.  Loyal participants should wear green.  If they don't they can be pinched.  Green is the color of Ireland, from where the holiday comes from.  Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle.  Shamrocks, the popular symbol of the day, are also green.  St. Patrick used this plant to teach about Christianity.  He became a saint because he converted so many people in Ireland to Christianity.

There are many legends about this holiday.  One is if you find the end of a rainbow you can find a pot of gold.  You will be forever rich.  This legand relates to luck.  Luck is a big part of the holiday.

If you want to learn more about this day, its history, more legands, I have a lesson about Festivals of the World.  We can discuss it or any other interesting festival from around the world.  I look forward to talking with you about it.

Until then, be lucky, drink some green beer (so common in bars around the world), and Happy St. Patrick's Day.