Shamrocks & Shenanigans: An International Celebration

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays, second only to Halloween & Homecoming (this counts as a holiday if you went to Mizzou, trust me). I'm not entirely sure why since I'm only about 7% Irish, but it was something my family always "celebrated" growing up. My mom would encourage us to wear green, give us cards and a small gift and serve corned beef & cabbage or other Irish treat. It could also have something to do with the fact that I think I got all the Irish genes in the family with my pasty skin, red hair and green eyes...  

Despite my impending finals (on St. Patrick's day & the day after), my jam-packed work week and just having returned from a weekend of traveling... I refused to let a St. Patrick's Day go by without a celebration. Especially since a Chicago St. Patrick's day is on my list of things to do before I die. 

To date, I have managed to celebrate in a variety of cities and with all different types of celebrations so I allowed myself one day of revelry last weekend so I could check one more place off my list.

The Southside Irish parade was definitely an experience that I won't soon forget, but it got me reminiscing about St. Patrick's Days of years past... 

• 2009 - Southside Irish Parade in Chicago
• 2008 - Irish bars in St. Louis
  
• 2007 - University of Missouri - Rolla 
• 2006 - Irish bars in London in Pickadilly Circus 
• 2005 - Unofficial at U of I 
• 2004 - McNally's at Mizzou

And made me wonder where I will be next year...