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All around the world, people of Irish descent celebrate their culture and heritage with parades and parties.
Places from Montserrat to Singapore celebrate St. Patrick's Day in their own unique ways.
St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and all around the world, people are gearing up for the party of a lifetime.
The holiday, commemorating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, gives millions of people of Irish descent a reason to celebrate their culture and heritage, and is marked by massive parades and raucous parties.
Even countries without prominent Irish populations take part in the festivities. According to historians Mike Cronin and Daryl Adair, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.
Here's what St. Patrick's Day celebrations look like around the world:
It's no surprise St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday in Ireland. Dublin celebrates with a week of festivities including a massive parade that ends at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Of course, revelers flock to local pubs along the way to grab a pint (or more)
Across the island in Limerick, people of all age show their Irish pride.
The UK has more Irish emigrants than anywhere else in the world. In London, hundreds of thousands of people come out for the city's annual St. Paddy's Day parade down Piccadilly road.
London's parade culminates with live music at Trafalgar Square.
New York City's parade claims to be the biggest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world, drawing more than 2 million spectators each year.
Thirteen percent of New Yorkers claim Irish ancestry, and one neighborhood — Breezy Point in Queens — is the only neighborhood in America with an Irish majority.
Boston, Massachusetts is famous for its Irish heritage.
More than a million people watch the parade every year — sometimes from their own rooftops.
The Caribbean island of Montserrat is the only place outside Ireland where St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday. The British territory boasts centuries of Irish influence, and its annual festivities blend Irish and African traditions.
Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro flock to Irish pubs to down pints of green beer.
As many as 1 million people of Irish descent live in Argentina. In Buenos Aires, revelers celebrate with Irish film screenings, pub crawls, and a massive parade.
Singapore, a magnet for ex-pats from around the world, has a St. Patrick's Day sponsored by Guinness.
The iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai lights up green on the night of St. Patrick's Day.
… as does the Sydney Opera House in Australia …
… and even Giza, Egypt, gets in on the action
In Berlin, partygoers come out for music, dancing, and drinking.
And in Montreal, a city more known for its French population, the city's 6% Irish population comes out in full force for a raucous procession at Phillips Square.
