Green River is being served again at all the restaurants in town. Traffic is bad because streets are being closed down for parades. The Chicago River seems just a tad more green than usual. Sales in corned beef suddenly rise. You finally start to see a lot of green again, but no, unfortunately it’s not the snow melting away, it’s a sea of people in green shirts. All of these things hint at the fact that St. Patrick’s Day is approaching fast.

St. Patrick’s day is practically a national holiday, with all of its popularity. After all, when people think of February, they think of Valentine’s Day, and when March is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is St. Patrick’s Day. Wherever you go, you can find people celebrating it in some way.

At St. Francis Xavier Parish, to celebrate, the Irish American Heritage band played before Mass on Saturday. McDonald’s puts everyone into a festive mood with their renowned Shamrock Shakes. Whether you throw a huge party and invite the whole block, or have a quiet dinner of corn beef and cabbage with your family, everyone celebrates in some way.

Mary Mullarkey, a freshman at Nazareth Academy, talked about how she celebrates St. Patrick’s day. “My family usually has a party and we invite all our family and friends and just celebrate and have lots of Irish food and all that,” she stated. Similarly, Maeve Roach’s family also has a party. “I go to my aunt’s house on my dad’s side and we make green cookies and then everyone goes there and we have a party!”

Mary Clare Harrington, also a freshman at Nazareth Academy, mentioned another thing that many people do on this festive holiday. “My whole extended family meets at my grandma’s house on the south side and then we go and watch the south side Irish parade together. When it is over we go back to my grandparents’ and eat corn beef and cabbage; we are all decked out in green or Irish sweaters,” she stated. Parades are a common and popular way to celebrate the holiday, in fact, the south side Irish parade brings over 250,000 spectators each year and 15,000 marchers in the parade.

St. Patrick’s day is celebrated all over, embraced by all people, even those who don’t have any Irish roots. Roach explained that she thinks it is such a well-received holiday because “most people use it as an opportunity to get together with family. The holiday is so festive that anyone can celebrate it.” Harrington agreed, saying, “St. Pat’s day is super fun and everyone likes to be in the spirit of the holiday. I also think it’s kind of a beginning of spring celebration and everyone is finally able to enjoy the outdoors and have a good time.”

So whether you plan on watching Irish dancers in a parade, are hosting a huge family party, or just plan on showing your festivity by choosing a green shirt out of your closet on Monday, St. Patrick’s day is a wonderful holiday, celebrated in many ways.