What began as a religious feast day for one of the patron saints of Ireland has become an international festival with parades, dancing and a whole lot of green. Here’s a look at the main parades happening across the world, including Malta.

The US celebrates in big style with parades taking place in Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Sacramento, Washington DC, Boston – where the first St Patrick’s Day parade was held – and New York, which hosts the largest parade in the US. Hudson, Quebec and Vancouver in Canada also party hard with Vancouver holding a massive seven-day celebration of Celtic culture.

Irish revellers attending the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin. Photo: shutterstock.comIrish revellers attending the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin. Photo: shutterstock.com

In Ireland, parades are held in Cork City; Ennis in County Clare; Letterkenny, Co. Donegal; Belfast; Achill Island; and, of course, Dublin, which is this year hosting what is being called “the greenest, grandest parade” tomorrow.

In Europe, popular parades take place in Edinburgh in Scotland, which hosts a Festival of Ireland; Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen; Norway’s capital, Oslo; and the Emerald Village in Birmingham, England.

Hong Kong in Asia held its first Irish festival last year, while Japan’s Tokyo is holding its annual parade for the 25th time this year.

Participants in the parade organised by the Irish-Maltese Circle in Valletta, last year. Photo: Matthew MirabelliParticipants in the parade organised by the Irish-Maltese Circle in Valletta, last year. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Australia and New Zealand, whose first European settlers were British convicts, also go green on March 17, with two main parades being held in Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, and Brisbane, Queensland’s capital.

Irish fever has also reached South America, which celebrates St Patrick’s Week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with music events and happy hours taking place in countless locations across the city.

Malta can pride itself of its own parade. The Irish-Maltese Circle is hosting St Patrick’s official parade in Valletta on Sunday. Over 1,000 people have been attending this parade for the last five years. This year, celebrations will open with Mass at St Barbara church in Valletta at 10am. The parade will kick off at noon at City Gate to then proceed down Republic Street and culminate in a concert in St George’s Square.

The Aer Lingus music group is returning to Malta after an absence of two years to provide the onstage entertainment along with the Inis Ealga Irish dance troupe. The local Claddagh Crooners, under the direction of Mick Higgins and (ex-New Cuorey star) Joe Grech will perform a number of popular songs. The Marsa Scouts, Pipes and Drums will also take part.

For the first time, the Irish-Maltese Circle is expecting to have an Irish minister leading the parade alongside Irish Ambassador Padraig MacCoscair.

Floriana, synonymous with the colour green, is organising its own festivities on Sunday, with Klinsmann, Novel, The Crowns and Ozzy Lino and his band entertaining the crowd in Conservatory Street (in front of Floriana Ajax FC) from noon onwards. There will also be a parade, food stalls and a children’s area.

Parades apart, most Maltese partygoers will tonight converge in front of Tigullio in St Julian’s for St Patrick’s Day Festival, which will feature five different areas for different niches of music, or else will head to Irish pubs across the country for some Irish cheer.

■ For more information about the Irish-Maltese Circle parade, visit www.irishmaltesecircle.org.mt or the group’s Facebook page. For more information about the St Julian’s and Floriana celebrations, look up the St Patrick’s Day Festival Tigullio and St Patrick’s Sunday Floriana event pages on Facebook.

Two men dressed as leprechauns at the Valletta parade last year. Photo: Matthew MirabelliTwo men dressed as leprechauns at the Valletta parade last year. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Why green?

St Patrick was originally associated with the colour blue but it is thought that the shift to green is due to the fact that Ireland’s nickname is the Emerald Isle, there is green in the Irish flag and Ireland’s national symbol is the shamrock.

According to legend, people wear green to makes themselves invisible to leprechauns – the fairies in Irish folklore – who would pinch anyone they could see that is anyone not wearing green.

According to Irish tradition, green is also the colour of the Catholics and orange is the colour of the Protestants. On the Irish flag, these colours are separated by white, which is symbolic of peace between the two.

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