The capital city Dublin will fairly be twisted on its top this year, as Ireland's supreme yearly festivity takes it over from March 15, 2006. The electrifying 5-day programme of events includes street theatre, fireworks, music, exhibitions, symposiums, fun fairs and even a treasure hunt. People can enjoy the fantastic 3 kilo meter long St. Patrick's Day Festival parade, join in the dancing at the largest outdoor Ceili, and choose from a miscellany of Irish music concerts.
Streets are clogged with traffic and the city centre becomes a playground as revellers enjoy most of the free entertainment. The "craic" (an Irish word for fun) is assured! Festivities will take place in cities, towns and villages all over Ireland throughout the week to mark Ireland's national holiday.
You wouldn't believe it; but every year, St Patrick's Day festivities in Dublin get bigger and a whole lot better. The craic continues for several days, offering over 50 diverse events. Partying for St Patrick now extends a lot more than just on Saint's day. Now the festivities last for five days, offering music, dance, fireworks and street theatre.
The real fun takes place with the world-famous parade. Over half a million people line the streets and millions worldwide tune in to watch Ireland's most spectacular street party. The celebrations always offer a fantastic array of colourful and creative pageants, marching bands, pomp, ceremony and celebration.
Did you ever marvel how the little green Shamrock came to be the admired emblem of Ireland. According to a myth, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity when altering a pagan Irish king to Christianity. In the village of Down Patrick, Co. Down, where St. Patrick is buried, an award-winning visitor centre tells the full story. From March 13 to 20th, visitors get pleasure from tours, traditional music and dance sessions, funfairs and, of course, a marvellous 3 kilo meter long parade.
Actually, throughout St. Patrick's week, the whole of Ireland is vibrant with enthusiasm as special celebrations take place in the lead up to the big day, March 17th. Why don't you join us in Ireland and be sprinkled with amity and memorable memoirs as you push the boat out with Irish people, who are eminent for their shindigs! St. Patrick's Day History St. Patrick's Festival was established by the Government of Ireland in November 1995. The standard endeavour of St. Patrick's Festival, since its inauguration, is to build up a major annual international festival around the national holiday over which the 'owners' of the festival, the Irish people, would stand proud. It sets out to reflect the talents and achievements of Irish people on many national and world stages, and it acts as an exciting showcase for the manifold skills of the people of Ireland, of every age and social background.
Saint Patrick's Day, celebrated on March 17, is the Irish feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (386-461), the patron saint of Ireland. It is an official holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland. It is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and those of Irish descent (and increasingly by many of non-Irish descent). A main parade takes place in Dublin and in most other Irish towns and villages. The four largest parades of recent years have been held in Dublin, New York City, Savannah and Manchester.
As well as being a celebration of Irish culture, St. Patrick's Day is a Christian festival celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland (among other churches in the Anglican Communion) and some other denominations. However, as a Christian festival, St. Patrick's Day sometimes is required to give way to a more significant feast. The day always falls in the season of Lent, and it may fall in Holy Week. In church calendars, though rarely in secular ones, if St. Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday, it is moved to the following Monday. If it falls in Holy Week, it is moved to the second Monday after Easter. In Ireland it is conventional to break up a Lenten fast for the period of St. Patrick's Festival.
As the one national holiday that is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other, St. Patrick's Day is the day when everyone wants to be Irish. However, it was a strange fact of life that the celebrations held in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day prior to 1996 ashen in contrast to those held abroad, especially when one considers what an ideal opportunity the day represented to present Ireland and Dublin to the world. We set out to seize that opportunity, and completely transform the national and international perception of St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. This country is bursting with the kind of creative energy, ideas and enthusiasm required to do the job. Our job has been to strap them up, and make our national holiday a remarkable experience for all.
Courtesy: www.stpatricksday.ie St Patrick's CountrySt Patrick's Country is just an hour's drive south from Belfast or 2 hours north from Dublin. Down Patrick, with its dramatic Cathedral, is at its heart. In its grounds lies a large gravestone - that of the Saint we believe. Saul is considered as the spot of St Patrick's first Church and a restoration marks this significant turning point in Irish culture. Established in a green verdant part of the county and transmitting something magical and spiritual up till now. |
