Many of us think of St. Patrick's Day and we think Irish food (usually corned beef and cabbage and Guinness) when in reality, there is actually a reason why this day is celebrated.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th, which is the saint's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death back in the 5th century. This is a day that the Irish have celebrated for over 1,000 years. St. Patrick's Day falls during the Christian Season of Lent and traditionally Irish families would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon with dance, drink and feasting as the prohibitions of Lenten were lifted.
Ulster County celebrates with a parade every year. There is no need to go all the way to NYC, where the crowds are enormous and trains are packed. This year Kingston will celebrate on Sunday, March 11th, 2012 with a parade starting at 1:00pm. It will start at Kingston Plaza in the Stockade District and end in the Rondout area, where the Rondout Creek meets the Hudson. There will be trophies for best band, best school float, best decorated float, best original group and best Irish spirit. For more information, visit http://ulsteraoh.com/Parade.htm.
There is also a Shamrock Run on Sunday, March 11th, starting at 12:50pm with great prizes! Check out http://www.shamrockrunners.org/ for more information.
Don't miss out on this year's festivities, it's a wonderful celebration and a full day of fun!
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