Join in New York's biggest celebration
New York's St Patrick's Day Parade is great - and you don't have to be Irish to enjoy itNew York may not be populated by many Irish Americans any more but a thick seam of Irish culture still underpins the city. With regular daily flights from Manchester, join in the festivities to celebrates Ireland's patron saint .
New York's St Patrick's Day Parade is the largest parade in the world and visitors come from all over the world to join in the celebrations. Taking place in March every year, the parade started in the 18th century and was a rebellion against British rule in Ireland when the Irish were forbidden to celebrate their heritage. The parade allowed the expatriate community to exalt in all things Irish; wearing gold and green, talking in their mother tongue, singing Irish songs and showcasing their dancing and pipe playing skills.
Today, the parade remains true to its roots and there are no floats or commercialisation of the central activities, just marchers and traditional dancers and musicians. This is much more visually interesting than it sounds with nearly 250,000 participants in the parade including 'Riverdance' style dancers, pipe and drum bands, singers and marching bands delighting the crowds.
While the parade participants may be sober, St Patrick's Day often marks the end of Lent and so is a great opportunity to eat, drink and be merry for many of the spectators who number over a million.
