St. Patrick’s Day is this Sunday, March 17, and many around the world – including those in the United States – will be observing and celebrating the holiday this weekend.
In this blog, we take a look at the history of St. Patrick’s Day and how much consumers plan to spend on this year’s holiday.
History of St. Patrick’s Day
This holiday is in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and has been observed as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years, with the first St. Patrick’s Day parade (on record) being held on March 17, 1601 – according to History.com.
This holiday is a day where Irish families would gather and attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon eating a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. Corned beef is also largely associated with the holiday as well.
Excitement for St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston, and more cities across the United States continued to draw more and more people out to celebrate such events.
You might be aware of the Chicago River in Illinois being dyed green every year in celebration of the holiday. That all started in 1962, when pollution-control workers in the city used dyes to help find illegal sewage discharges. When they realized the green-dye they used might be a fun way to celebrate the holiday. Today, the city uses 40 pounds of dye to turn the river green. In recent years, they have used less amounts of dye in an effort to be more environmentally friendly.
How Much are Consumers Spending on This Holiday?
Consumers this year are predicted to spend a record $7.2 billion for the holiday this year, with an average person spending $44.40, per data from the National Retail Federation.
It’s not surprising that participation for this holiday increases when it takes place on a weekend versus a week day. And since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a weekend this year, over 62 percent of Americans – according to NRF data – are planning to take part and celebrate this year.
Looking Ahead
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