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World's wackiest St. Patrick's Day celebrations


Some of the most notable St Patrick's Day celebrations
Some of the most notable St Patrick's Day celebrations
Photo by AP

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The shortest parade, the worst, the longest, the coldest, the largest shamrock, and the snake race – all the information you need to make your St. Patrick's season fun.

The World's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade:

The shortest parade is always held on March 17th on historic Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas. Bridge Street became famous in the 1940s when “Ripley's Believe It or Not” designated it "The Shortest Street in the World." Having earned this distinction, the Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau deemed Bridge Street the most logical location for this novel parade.

World's worst St. Patrick's parade

Chicago's South Side parade got cancelled this year but local bar owner Gerry O'Connell is having his own parade – around his bar “Irish Eyes.” O'Connell plans to pay homage to the currently defunct Chicago tradition.

"The South Side [parade] was cancelled," he said. "So what we're doing, is we're starting at the south side of the bar, and we're going to come around from the south side and parade the whole bar. And we're going to salute the South Side, because we'd like them to have their parade.
 
World's coldest St. Patrick's celebration:

Bering Sea Ice St. Patrick's Golf Classic: Third Saturday of March in Nome Alaska. Six -hole course played on the frozen Bering Sea with bright orange golf balls. Par is 41. Cash prizes for best scores. $50 entry fee includes a t-shirt, hat, golf balls, tees (old shotgun shells), snakebite remedies (small bottles of vodka) and a certificate of completion.

World's smallest St. Patrick's celebration:

Can you say one? That's right, this is a party for one, and it has occurred every St. Patrick's Day since 1993 in the town of Enterprise, Alabama.

A different person of Irish descent each year holds the Irish flag high above his/her head, carries a pot o' gold and recites limericks as he/she walks past the local courthouse and around the Bol Weevil Monument. (Yes, Enterprise is the only American city with a monument of a pest. Don't ask!)

Grand Marshals in absentia are nominated and selected on the basis of their written acceptance speech, plus their reasons for not being able to attend the parade. In other words, anyone can be a Grand Marshal.

World's largest St. Patrick’s Day parade:

The New York parade has become the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the world. In a typical year, 150,000 marchers participate in it, including bands, firefighters, military and police groups, county associations, emigrant societies, and social and cultural clubs, and two million spectators line the streets
 
World’s oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade:


Nster.com


14 Comments

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Boston has the oldest St Paddy's day parade. It started 30 years before NY parade
AH.... "St. Pat's Day", brings to mind the three things that are true regarding all Irish parties (IPs): (1) all IPs last 72 hours, whether you want them to or not; (2) during IPs you will somehow insult or be insulted by half the people you talk to; and (3) the difference between an Irish family party and a party of Irish families is the size of the gun you'll need. Stay safe, live long and well; and enjoy the party.
The St Patrick's day phenomenon must be the most globalised cultural event on planet Earth as it seems to literally reach all four corners of the planet. Sure, you'll see buckos dressed up as leprechauns dancing in formation in all manner of exotic places
The St Patrick's day phenomenon must be the most globalised cultural event on planet Earth as it seems to literally reach all four corners of the planet. Sure, you'll see buckos dressed up as leprechauns dancing in formation in all manner of exotic places
The St Patrick's day phenomenon must be the most globalised cultural event on planet Earth as it seems to literally reach all four corners of the planet. Sure, you'll see buckos dressed up as leprechauns dancing in formation in all manner or exotic places.
Thanks for the truth about Montserrat, AOHBard & others. It's much different than Mr. Gallagher's warm & fuzzy version. Mr. Gallagher - you forgot to mention the world's ONLY bi-state parade when marchers cross over the bridge between Iowa & Illinois.
Please inform Mr Gallagher that no Irish Catholic indentured servants were welcomed to Montserrat. They were men, women and children who survived Cromwell's onslaught and wer sent there as slaves! As for the Irish mixing freely with the African slaves,archived log books rescued from the recent volcanic eruption on the island revealed the names of Irish girls regularly thrown in 'breeding sheds' with male Mandingo slaves to create a better slave - one that wouldn't sunburn so easily. The books were kept to record their pedigree to boost the value of their offspring. As for the unique Afro-Irish culture, these are their descendants - still proud. Those who escaped 'mixing' are called 'redlegs' and they exist today in a corner of the island, poverty stricken, illiterate and ill from their forced incestuous existence. Check out the story and don't try to sugar-coat history. Mike McCormack - AOH National Historian
I agree with you Irish photograph. People need to realize that the English sent many Irish people to be slaves at their sugar plantations.
Can't wait till David Norris is president and volunteers to marshall the New York Parade... He's gay ;0
I just lurrvve the green beer, rivers dyed green,the tall green felt hats, the plastic green shamrock-shaped glasses, and the 'drink me, I'm Oirish' tee-shirts. It all adds to the festivity of the global celebrations in the name of our patron saint. What would the festivals be like without all the shamroguery, leprechaunery and toomfoolery?
PEOPLE!!! The Irish were sent to Montserrat as slaves by the British...The failure for the author of this article to tell the truth is shameful...
I'm beginning to have an intense dislike for St Patrick's Day. In Dublin it's a boozefest, with entertainment from sundry Pakistani and Polish marching bands. In places like Savannah it's embarrassing trash. The only parade I ever enjoyed was New York in, I think, 1983, when we booed the portly prelate Cooke and cheered the patriot Mike Flannery. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam croga.
tokyo 1987 - had hoped to have the first there but friends lacked the chutzpah to engage in a walk thru ripongi with me.
Monteserrat sounds like a great place to celebrate St. Paddy's. I was planning on New Orleans, but will check last minute flights to the Caribbean! Anyone been there during St. Paddy's??
 




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