On March 17, Americans ó of Irish descent or not ó will don their green garb and spend billions of dollars celebrating St. Patrickís Day.Although the annual holiday began as a feast for the patron saint of Ireland, it has transformed into ìan international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green,î according to history.com.ìThe date (March 17) commemorates the day St. Patrick died, believed to be in A.D. 461,î wrote Laura Rosenfeldís in a March 14, 2016, article ó ìThe History of St. Patrickís Day: 9 Facts You Need to Know About the Holidayís Originsî ó posted at TechTimes.com.ìSt. Patrick was mostly forgotten. … However, a mythology grew around the religious figure, and by the ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland began observing St. Patrickís Day as a feast day,î Rosenfeld wrote.Modern celebrations incorporate alcoholic beverages and an emphasis on parties; the celebration of the previous ìminor religious holidayî morphed in Ireland sometime in the 1970s.St. Patrickís Day celebrations transformed in America much earlier.ìEarly celebrations happened in Boston in 1737 and New York in 1762. St. Patrickís Day celebrations continued to grow as more Irish immigrants came to the U.S.,î according to Rosenfeldís article. Rosenfeld also cited history.comís statement that ìNew Yorkís St. Patrickís Day parade is the worldís oldest civilian parade and the largest parade in the U.S.îThe city of Chicago also dyes the Chicago River green each year to commemorate the holiday.In 2016, Americans spent $4.4 billion on the Irish holiday, according to a survey conducted by Proper Insight & Analytics for the National Retail Federation.On its website, the NRF reported more than 125 million Americans planned to celebrate the Irish holiday, spending an average of $33.37 per person.Holiday spending was down last year compared to 2014, when Americans spent $4.8 billion; and 2015, when Americans spent $4.6 billion.Last year, 21.1 percent of Americans attended a private party to celebrate; 28.7 percent headed to bars and restaurants; and 31.3 percent celebrated with a special dinner at home, NRF reported.The poll showed people age 25 to 34 spent the most last year ó $42.60 each on the holiday.Plenty of money is spent on alcohol.In his March 14, 2016, article, ìSt. Patrickís Day 2016 by the Numbers,î posted on WalletHub.com, John S. Kiernan wrote, ìDespite its religious undertones, St. Patrickís Day ranks among the calendarís biggest drinking days, as more than 33 million Irish-Americans and their compatriots around the world raise pints of Guinness and forkfuls of cabbage all in the name of the Emerald Isle.îAccording to a 2016 WalletHub poll, last year,13 million pints of Guinness were consumed worldwide; and St. Patrickís Day ranks fourth among the most popular drinking days of the year, ìbehind New Yearís Eve, Christmas and the Fourth of July.îWalletHub shared that 33.1 million Americans claim Irish ancestry – thatís ìseven times Irelandís population.îLocals looking for a place to celebrate this year can check out Frankieís Too! in Falcon, Colorado. The restaurant will be celebrating in Irish fashion, continuing a tradition that started 30 years ago, said co-owner Kathy Patton.One of the main acts is a bagpipe performance.ìWeíre going to have the Pikes Peak Highlanders,î Patton said. The Pikes Peak Highlanders are a local group who perform bagpipe and drum acts throughout the Pikes Peak region.ìThe bagpipers will play from 5 to 6 p.m. on St. Patrickís Day, March 17, before the floor is open up to dancing.îPatrons can also enjoy the traditional corned beef and hash and green beer, along with the restaurantís popular St. Patrickís Day dessert staple: an Irish bread pudding with Irish whiskey sauce.ìPeople line up for that,î Patton said.ì(The event) is very family friendly, and everyone is welcome to come by and join in the fun.îOther local celebrations include the Colorado Springs St. Patrickís Day Parade; this year, slated to take place in downtown Colorado Springs Saturday, March 11. The event kicks off with a 50k bike ride starting at 8:30 a.m., a 5k run at 11 a.m. and the parade at noon.For more information, visit the parade website at http://ccstpats.com.
