When St. Patrick’s Day comes around every year, so does the beloved tradition in Boston: the St. Patrick’s Day Parade located in South Boston. With its long-held history over almost 120 years, this parade is a great way to celebrate and express your spirit. However, what does the St. Patrick’s Day Parade entail? On the Sunday that falls the closest to St. Patrick’s Day (luckily this year it fell on St. Patrick’s Day itself) Boston has something for everybody: live music, whether that be bagpipes or bands, floats giving out all sorts of goodies, and most importantly, an energetic crowd to keep the day exciting. From old to young, everyone can find something to enjoy at the Boston parade. Last year, South Boston drew in about a million visitors for the parade. Along with multiple outdoor festivities, people can enjoy St. Patrick’s Day indoors in Boston as well. That might mean stopping at an authentic Irish pub or taking part in observing Irish history right in Boston, through trails such as the Irish Famine Memorial or Irish Heritage Trail.
So how did this exciting tradition start? The St. Patrick’s Day Parade’s origin started in 1737 and was created to celebrate unity and togetherness resulting from the Irish immigrant community in Boston. To honor their heritage, immigrants came together to celebrate their unique culture and honor their homeland. Not only does this parade signify St. Patrick’s Day, but it also signifies Boston being one of the first cities to ever celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in North America. Today, thousands of people come together to not only celebrate the Irish immigrants who came to Boston in the 18th century, but to also recognize Irish culture as a whole. Unlike Boston locals or those traveling, not everyone can make it to the parade in person; because of this, the Boston St. Patrick’s Day caters to these needs as the parade is aired on multiple stations such as NECN or streaming platforms such as Peacock. So while not everyone might want to or be able to physically participate in the parade fun, everyone is still able to enjoy or become involved with this fun tradition in other ways.
Sources:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/03/16/st-patricks-day-parade-boston/729730 25007/#
