St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago 🍀!
March was already two months ago, but I still have incredible memories from earlier this year. This includes Saturday, the 16th of March, the day before St. Patrick’s Day.
One of the most infamous St. Patrick’s Day traditions has to be how the Chicago River gets dyed green every year. What started as the City’s effort in 1962 to deal with riverfront water waste, where city workers dumped 100 pounds of dye in the water, started a tradition which is now adored by many throughout the world. Today, this is one of the events where Chicago can focus on its rich Irish heritage.
From what I’ve heard, some cherry-pick their spots from as early as five am, to enjoy this spectacle in its full glory. In fact according to Choosechicago.com, “The best place to watch the St. Patrick’s Day spectacle, now in its 69th year, is along the Chicago River between State and Columbus”. Another thing we noticed was how the Riverwalk was closed for safety reasons.
Fortunately, my boyfriend was kind enough to let me watch the show from his shoulders, leading me to have one of the best views that day! Several different boats zoomed by, leaving the river in a sparkling shade of emerald green. The people cheered and clapped for each one of them, creating an incredible environment. This memory has given me yet another reason why I’ve grown to love Chicago over the past academic year, and it’s all thanks to how close my University is to the downtown.
-Xo, Tani
St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. In Ireland, it’s observed through religious ceremonies and festive gatherings. In the USA, the Irish-American population has helped it transform into a “largely secular holiday of revelry and celebration things Irish,” according to britannica.com. Throughout the nation, this day is celebrated by participating in/ enjoying parades and decorating everything (including yourself) in green. Companies such as McDonald’s even have a special drink dedicated to this holiday, namely the iconic “Shamrock Shake” which was introduced almost 55 years ago by Hal Rosen in 1967.
My friends and I left our dorms (Lincoln Park Campus Munroe Hall) at 9:30 am as the river dying was going to begin at 10:00 am. We took the ultra-packed Red Line L train from Fullerton to Lake and walked up to the riverside in an attempt to find a place to stand. One thing was clear: We were clearly very late! There already were hundreds of people gathered, with no good spots remaining.
