St. Patrick’s Day Traditions

March 22, 2024

Happy (late) St. Patrick’s Day! This article is about popular traditions in Chicago during the month of March to celebrate this occasion. There are many traditions, both new and historical, all very well known in Chicago.

Green River

This picture the process of dying the Chicago River. Especially with clear and sunny skies, the green looks very bright.

One of the most popular traditions Chicago does in the month of March is dying the Chicago River green. Chicago dyes the river green every Saturday the week before St. Patrick’s day at 10 am. This tradition has been going on for 62 years, starting in 1962. The green dye was originally used to identify sources of leaky pipes. However, plumbers eventually realized it turned the water green. The plumbers of the local union decided to use 100 pounds of the dye to turn the river green for a whole week in honor of St. Patrick’s day!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Chicago throws their St. Patrick Day Parade annually. It is said to be one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country. Avid parade-goers claim wearing something green is necessary unless you want to get pinched. During the parade, there are many floats that go through the river, with people waving their Irish flags. They also have many Irish step-dancers and bagpipe musicians putting on a great show. After the parade, people tend to walk around to the restaurants that offer live Irish step-dancing and live music. The first parade in Chicago was held in 1843. Eventually, it became such a popular event that it was made into an official Chicago event in the 1950’s.

St. Patrick’s Day River Cruise

This photo shows all the people on the cruise looking around at all the people wearing costumes and enjoying the nice Chicago weather.

Going on a river cruise during the parade is incredibly popular. Many people tend to buy tickets so they can experience the floats and the people dancing up close. While the cruise is only 2 hours long, it offers a multitude of things. Food and beverages, for example, are offered. They have a photo station with props that are available to everyone on the cruise. Many of the props are St. Patrick’s themed such as: necklaces, bracelets, wigs, hats, glasses, etc. The cruise also offers a live bagpipe performance. Ticket prices differ from $135 to $150 per person.

Work Cited:

St. Patrick’s Day Chicago | Green River Dyeing & Parades. (n.d.). Choose Chicago. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.choosechicago.com/articles/holidays/st-patricks-day-chicago/

St. Patrick’s Fest 2024! – Irish American Heritage Center. (n.d.). Irish American Heritage Center. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://irish-american.org/event/st-patricks-day-festivities-2024/

Donate to The Tiger

Your donation will support the student journalists of Elmwood Park High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributor

Jailani Rodriguez, Staff Reporter

Hey! My name is Jailani Rodriguez and I'm a freshman at Elmwood Park High School. Outside of journalism, I love to play basketball and volleyball and I am on both teams at EPHS. I am also involved in Operation Snowball and Student Council. My favorite music genre is hip-hop and my favorite artist is Frank Ocean.