Why do lots of cities in the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

[Kendodd]

I think it's great btw. I'm very much in the 'celebrate everything' camp. Tokyo can't have a significant Irish population though?

BBC News - St Patrick's Day celebrations take place across the world
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-68590398

@Kendodd , cause us Irish are the best craic!!🤣🤣🤣🤭🤭🤭

Who knows? According to every Irish person I have ever met, Ireland is the most fantastic place ever, why they leave in droves is a mystery to me.

A combination of the Irish diaspora being huge and of US cultural influence in lots of the places that haven't seen significant Irish immigration.

Joking aside (!) I think you're right, or might be right.

I’m Irish and have lived in quite a few cities around the world and while we always had a St Patrick’s Day event I never remember a parade like that in Japan. I know parades happen in cities with large Irish populations both now and historical

It’s a great country all right. With great people. Would be better with a roof on. And certainly back in the 80s more jobs.

well 15% of canadians are of irish ancestry and 30% of canadians are catholic.
seems only fair that there may be a few cities that have st pat parades.

True, I have Canadian relatives. They come over every two or three years.☺️☺️☺️

St Patrick is also big in the Caribbean. Irish people settled in so many places and mixed with the other cultures.

So many people have Irish heritage too. My family came to England only 2 generations ago and when I traced my family tree there were people who moved to Australia and America.

Some of the less obvious ones could also be a promotion paid for by the Irish government. I saw a news item about such a parade in Beijing years ago where the people waving Irish flags didn't know what Ireland was. The government created the event as a prextext to invite whatever business leaders they are interested in to meet informally.

But why is it a party?
I don't think the Welsh, English or Scots have parties on their respective patron saints day.
And non Irish around the world celebrate.
My 17yr old DD is celebrating in her bedroom with her best pal. We are only 8th Irish but she doesn't know that 🤣

My son is living in Vancouver and just called me . He is off out to celebrate drink alcohol I lived in Sydney 35 years ago and it was a big celebration then ,remember going to a St Patrick’s day ball .
I think in Britain,celebrating St George’s Day is linked with Racism …I might be wrong 🤦‍♀️

Well part of the reason for the huge diaspora was a famine that halved the population. Didn't you learn about that in school?

The story of Irish indentured servants sent from here to the Caribbean (irishexaminer.com)

Black Irish of Montserrat - Timeline, History, and Cultural Legacy of the Irish in Montserrat | Caribbean & Co. (caribbeanandco.com)

I love seeing all the celebrations around the world! Makes me feel very proud to be Irish!

Happy St Patrick’s Day ☘️

The Shamrock Tenors is on BBC four now. It's fantastic!!🥳🥳🥳

@Curunina The famine was a dreadful part of history but I don't think it is still the reason for so many to leave Ireland!

It kind of is actually, there's a huge tradition of emigration so when hard times hit Irish people - especially young people - are much more likely to emigrate for work than people in some other cultures. It's very much the done thing. Started with the famine (open to correction on that, but certainly emigration during the famine was on an unprecedented scale) and has stuck around ever since.

@ColleenDonaghy Yes I get it, I think the Irish as a whole are pretty intrepid, History has not been kind to Ireland so it is very much part of the culture to seek a better life elsewhere.

“History” has not been kind to Ireland? History? What a quaint nickname for England.

@Peridot1 ".....Would be better with a roof on....."
😂
I second that.

Ah now. The Ruling Class I call it. And they are global now. Go n-eirí leat in aon chor.

I had a colleague from Montserrat. Johnny Lynch.☘ . He even had freckles and green eyes ☺