‘Tis St. Patrick’s Day Season in Boston

For those of Irish descent and for those who are Irish-at-heart, there is no better place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than Boston . The entire month of March is a celebration of  all things Irish with concerts, theater performances,  parades,  and culinary events throughout the state. In Boston, St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day are a dual holiday- and are not so coincidentally both celebrated on March 17th . Evacuation Day commemorates  the  leaving of the British from Boston and is a legal holiday .  City workers have the day off, so you won’t be able to pay your parking ticket and the kiddies have a day off from school. Of course, everyone knows just which day we are celebrating-just take a look inside any of the city’s bars filled with legions raising a pint to Ireland’s patron saint!

How about some some historical insight before you hit the pubs? Learn how and why the Irish are so important to Boston as you follow  The Irish Heritage Trail . This 20-site , self-guided tour highlights the impact of the Irishn o the political, cultural, and historical life of Boston. The walk starts at the Rose Kennedy Greenway (Cross St., Boston) (Map) and ends at Fenway Park (4 Yawkey Way, Boston) (Map) . Of note is the Irish Famine Memorial (corner of Washington and School Streets)(Map) . The statues are a tribute to the “Famine Generation” of 1845-1850 when more than a million people fled Ireland because of potato crop failures, with an estimated 100,000 Irish settling in Boston. You can pick up a free Irish Heritage Trail map  at the Visitor Center at the Boston Common (Map) or at the Prudential Center (Map)

Image Credit: dlemieux , PlanetEye