St Patricks Day in London

Fly to Boston?

Lol! I am 3 hours drive to Boston and hate it there. I was actually being serious with my post. :)

Yes there is a parade in London from Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square on 19 March.

A warm up for the Feast of St George on 23 April ...

I was actually being serious with my post. :)

I actually was being serious with my answer. Having lived in or next to both I can attest that Boston has a much bigger party.

The St Patrick's Day parade & festival in London is a pretty recent affair. There are some low key events on the day itself: first day of an Irish Film Festival; Irish walking tours, Irish music on the Underground etc. There are also events at Irish Culture Centres in particularly the one in Camden.

There appears to be little in London for St David's day tomorrow though - Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus

Fly to Boston? Nooooo! Fly to Dublin! In and out in one day.

I think in general one can say that St. Patrick's day (as a Parade and Party day) is much more an American thing than Irish, and I would think much less British. Even in Ireland it was always more of a Holy Day with Parades and Party being more of an American import in the last couple decades. Same with London, just a decade or so later, but as others mentioned, low key in Pubs (good excuse to sell Guinness) with other activities delegated to the weekends.

Can't understand why it's so surprising to some that London doesn't celebrate with a parade on the actual day. I see nothing wrong with it. Go to a pub on the 17th and celebrate.

Sales of alcoholic drinks on St Patrick's Day were banned in the Republic of Ireland from 1927 to 1960. The same legislation still bans their sale on Good Friday. Certainly at that time it was considered more of a religious festival.