St. Patrick’s Day in New England

Posted on March 17, 2026March 17, 2026 by Dusty Roads

St. Patrick’s Day in New England: Where Tradition, Parade Routes, and a Whole Lot of Green Collide

Why St. Patrick’s Day Hits Different Up Here

In most parts of the country, St. Patrick’s Day is a fun little holiday—wear something green, maybe have a beer, maybe listen to a fiddle tune or two. But in New England? It’s practically a season. The Irish roots run deep here, especially in Boston, where St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just a date on the calendar—it’s a cultural event, a family tradition, and sometimes a political lightning rod.

Growing up around here, you learn early that March 17th is not to be taken lightly. The parades, the music, the food, the crowds, the weather (which can be anything from sunshine to sideways sleet)—it’s all part of the charm. And even when the parade gets tangled up in local politics, the spirit of the day never really fades. New Englanders are nothing if not persistent.

A Little History, Because We’re Nothing If Not Thorough

St. Patrick himself wasn’t Irish by birth, but he became the patron saint of Ireland after spreading Christianity across the island in the 5th century. Over time, March 17th became a day of remembrance, celebration, and—eventually—green everything.

But here’s the twist: St. Patrick’s Day as we know it is actually more American than Irish. Irish immigrants in cities like Boston and New York turned the holiday into a public celebration of identity, resilience, and community. The first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade in the U.S. happened in the 1700s, and Boston has been proudly carrying the torch ever since.

Today, the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the biggest in the country. Bagpipes, marching bands, veterans’ groups, dancers, floats—you name it, it’s there. And yes, every few years the parade organizers and the city find something new to argue about, but that’s just part of the tradition at this point. If New Englanders aren’t debating something, are we even awake?

The New England St. Patrick’s Day Experience

There’s a certain rhythm to the day around here:

Corned beef and cabbage (which, fun fact, is an American invention—but don’t tell anyone’s grandmother).
Irish soda bread that ranges from “heavenly” to “doorstop,” depending on the baker.
Green everywhere, from hats to hair to the Charles River (Chicago dyes theirs; we just let ours stay its natural shade of questionable).
Bars packed by noon, because it’s tradition, not poor planning.
Weather roulette, because March in New England likes to keep us humble.

And through it all, there’s this wonderful sense of community—neighbors greeting each other, families gathering, and everyone claiming at least a little Irish heritage for the day.

A Toast to March in Massachusetts

With the Ides of March behind us and yesterday’s Plymouth Rock post already up on the site, St. Patrick’s Day rounds out a surprisingly festive stretch of mid‑March. It’s a reminder that even in the tail end of winter, New England knows how to celebrate—loudly, proudly, and with plenty of green.

And after today’s festivities, who knows where March will take us next?

Happy St Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017 by Dusty Roads

‘Tis great to be Irish (even if your not)because this is the one day of the year when everyone is a little bit Irish.

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian feast day observed since the 17th century. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. He is also credited with chasing the snakes out of Ireland. A bit of a stretch because there is no evidence that there were ever any snakes in Ireland in the first place. Still, as any good Irishman will say, “It makes for a fine tale” especially after a Guinness or two.

Celebrations include public parades and festivals, green attire and ceilidhs. I didn’t know what that last word was so I had to look it up. According to Wikipedia a ceilidh (there should be an accent mark over the e) is a traditional Scottish or Irish gathering. It can mean, in its simplest form, a social visit but in today’s usage it usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.

If you live in Boston Saint Patrick’s Day is a BIG DEAL. People of Irish ancestry are the largest single ethnic group in Boston. The Irish boom came in the 19th century following the Great Irish Famine. At first there was a real separation of the Puritan Bostonians and the newly immigrated Irish but with the increasing Irish population, political organization and strong group loyalty the Irish took political control of the city.

The Irish left their mark on the region in a number of ways: in still heavily Irish neighborhoods such as Charlestown and South Boston; in the name of the local basketball team, the Boston Celtics; in the iconic Irish-American political family, the Kennedys.

The annual dispute these days is whether OUTVETS, a gay veteran’s group can march in the annual St Patrick Day Parade. I’m happy so say that the organizers of the parade finally gave in and said yes and have promised to change their by-laws so this annual dispute will not raise it’s ugly, prejudicial head again.

So raise a pint! Here’s another toast to the feisty Irish with their rich heritage. They bring color and life to a stodgy old city at least one day a year!

May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.

Happy St Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2016March 17, 2016 by Dusty Roads

A Colorful Little Shop

Posted on March 26, 2012March 26, 2012 by Dusty Roads

My week 10 Photo of the week was of two cute yellow duckie statues all decked out in a spring display.

Well I thought you might be interested in where I found such a whimsical decoration. I wish I could say I set it up myself but I’m afraid I can’t take credit for it. What actually happened was that I was running errands with my friend Nancy. We had just left Ritz Camera at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham and were headed down RT 53 to Trader Joe’s. Nancy and I spotted the house at the same time. It was kind of hard to miss. It had flowers all over its beautiful wrap-around porch. That splash of color so early in the year (it wasn’t even spring yet) really caught the eye!

Right then we decided to stop in on our way back from Trader Joe’s.

We got back in the mid afternoon. I took some pictures of the house from the parking lot then Nancy suggested we go in. It appeared to be a business and we were curious. We saw the sign, Garden Craft, but weren’t sure what that entailed.

Inside the house was bursting at the seams with silk flowers ands displays. I loved the idea of holiday trees..decorated trees not just for Christmas but for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and even a tree with seashell ornaments.

There were fireplaces in every room and each mantle held a different displays. The lady at the front desk was putting together a floral wreath but stopped for a moment to tell me a little bit about the store.

Garden Craft was formerly in Hanover where they sold not only silk arrangements but also garden and nursery products. They sold off their previous location, discontinued the garden /nursery line and moved the retail operation to this building in 2011. From what she told me they have quite the loyal following for the retail part of the business and the new location is only about 1/2 mile from the old Hanover location even though they had crossed over the town line with the move. They were now in Norwell.

I told her I liked to take pictures and asked if I could photograph some of the things they had in the store. She told me to go ahead and enjoy myself. Nancy was looking for little items so she was happy to give me time to wander around documenting the visual feast surrounding us.

It was great fun wandering around the shop. As these photos illustrate they have a wonderful variety of decorative products and ideas. It’s definitely worth a stop.