Coming up on March 14, the annual tradition of celebrities, step dancers, and many fancy cars lined up in the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh.  People from all over the city and even state come to watch for two hours.

Whether you’re Irish or not, people love celebrating this holiday because it’s a holiday where all you have to do is drive downtown, have some food and a drink, dress green, and have a good time.  There’s no requirement to decorate your house or make food yourself, unlike other holidays.

There are specific examples as well as who is at the parade.  There’s always sponsors of the event at the parade, some colleges, high school bands, Irish step dancers, and even if you’re lucky, a Pittsburgh sports team will be there.  Let’s also not forget the amazing bagpipe players, which defines St. Patrick’s Day itself.

Now, some people may not care about it or think it’s the biggest or most important holiday.  And, to be fair, it’s not as big of a holiday as Christmas or Easter.

However, this is an important holiday.  It’s not just about the luck of the Irish and getting a Shamrock Shake.  The purpose is to celebrate St. Patrick for ministering Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century A.D.  And even if you aren’t Christian, it’s still a fun holiday to celebrate anyways.

The reason why I brought this up is that every year, my family, cousins, and I go downtown to celebrate it.  And since my uncle and his family are Irish, this is a big deal to them.  We go every year, and everyone seems to be better than the last.

That’s why if you go downtown to Pittsburgh and try it out, you’ll enjoy the parade and have a good time.  Trust me, you’ll not regret it, and maybe you’ll learn something along the way.