With its impending arrival directly following reading week, the month of March for St Andrews students typically entails long library days, impending deadlines, and plenty of late-night study sessions. Luckily (no pun intended), smack dab in the middle of March is the infamous St. Patrick’s Day in all its glory — bringing good times, Guinness and green galore.
St Patrick’s Day, celebrated on the 17th of March every year, is a cultural holiday dedicated to commemorating Saint Patrick of Ireland. St. Patrick’s can be considered a sort of Irish cultural celebration, with participants in the festivities sporting shamrocks and the colour green, enjoying traditional Irish food and beverage, and getting together with friends and family. For a holiday with roots in the great nation of Ireland, the widespread sphere of celebrations for St Patrick’s Day are quite the phenomenon. Specifically, amongst university students, St. Patrick’s Day has become a weekend of celebration and festivity. Cities across the world can expect a plethora of parades, parties, and pots of gold this weekend.
Given Scotland’s close proximity to Ireland, there is no doubt that the St Andrews community can expect a number of students jetting off to carry on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the one and only Dublin, Ireland. In fact, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin is an all-weekend event full of festivals, parades, live performances, and more. Guests in Dublin over the weekend will be met with displays of traditional Irish dancing, music, and celebration. Navigating an event like this in Ireland’s capital, however, is no easy feat. One who chooses to spend St Patrick’s Day in Dublin can expect to be met with large crowds of people from all around the world at every turn. In fact, every year over 100,000 people make their way to Dublin to celebrate St Patrick’s Day weekend, making March one of the busiest times to visit the city of Dublin. It is no wonder, then, that so many of our own St Andrews community make their way across the Irish Sea to join in the celebration.
If we shift back across the Irish Sea for a moment, we can explore plenty of festivities to be found right here in Scotland this St Patrick’s Day weekend. Albeit not quite the Emerald Isle, events hosted throughout Scotland are guaranteed to be a good time. One of the quintessential experiences of St. Patrick’s Day in Scotland is undoubtedly the pub scene. Traditional Irish music fills the air, courtesy of talented musicians who bring the soul-stirring melodies of the Emerald Isle to the heart of Scotland. In the city of Edinburgh, guests this St Patrick’s Day can look forward to an all-day celebration at The Three Sisters, one of the most famous pubs in the city. The event, hosted from 8am to 3am, boasts delicious food, live musicians, karaoke and surprise guest performances for ticket holders to enjoy. As for Glasgow, visitors and locals of the city this weekend can look forward to performances from Irish singers at the Glasgow Concert Hall, good times at Glasgow’s very own Celtic Park for their St Patrick’s Day celebration, or even the Glasgow St Patrick’s Festival Family Fun Day right in Merchant Square. Undoubtedly, those spending St Patrick’s Day in these major Scottish cities are guaranteed to share a bit of the luck of the Irish this weekend.
Within our very own St Andrews community, students can expect shamrocks, Guinness, and rainbows right here in our seaside town. This St Patrick’s Day, The Student Union is hosting one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day events St Andrews has ever seen! Beginning at noon, the union excites attendees with promises of St. Patrick’s Day menus, live music, pub quizzes, karaoke, photo booths, face painting, and more! In collaboration with the Irish Society, this all-day event is bringing Irish festivities to life right in our very own union. Alternatively, St. Patrick’s Day is also being celebrated across the street at The Vic, with live music and two different DJs gracing the scene this Sunday. Wherever you choose to spend St. Patrick’s Day in St Andrews this summer, there is certainly no shortage of festivities.
Whether you find yourself savoring a pint of Guinness in a bustling pub or dancing the night away in our own Student Union, St. Patrick’s Day in Scotland is an experience that captures the spirit of Celtic hospitality and camaraderie. So, raise a glass, wear your finest green attire, and join in the celebration of Scotch and shamrocks in the land where Celtic traditions thrive.
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