Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Dubai | ExpatWoman.com
 

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Dubai

Posted on

7 March 2012

Last updated on 14 January 2020


Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Dubai

St Patrick's Day in Dubai is great fun as we have lots of Irish people to celebrate the day with as well as lots of Irish venues!

Whether you're an Irish expat living in the Emirate, an Irish tourist visiting Dubai or quite simply someone who wants to join in the celebrations of St. Patrick's Day, there's plenty to do and see and get involved with here in the city. Make sure you don't miss out on all of the fun, as without a doubt, plenty of venues around Dubai will organise themed celebrations, events and brunches that you can enjoy. 

st patricks day in dubai

Plus, make sure you don't miss all of the UAE's iconic landmarks turning green in honour of the holiday! Don't forget to take a snap of a green Burj Al Arab or Burj Khalifa and share it on social media. 

Where to celebrate in Dubai
There are around 4 Irish venues in Dubai and all will no doubt be having celebrations over the St Patrick's Day weekend- usually live music from Irish bands, Irish dancers, entertainers and fancy dress is encouraged!

Check out The Irish Village in Garhoud; Fibber McGees just off Sheikh Zayed Road inbetween the Fairmont and the Crown Plaza, behind the KFC; McGettigans at The Bonnington Hotel JLT and The Dubliners in the Meridein Hotel, Garhoud

Irish societies in Dubai
The Dubai Irish Society was established in 1974 and is one of the earliest established expat societies in Dubai. The focus of the Dubai Irish Society is to promote and support Irish Culture and the Irish Community in Dubai. Since its creation The Dubai Irish Society provides social, sporting and cultural events relevant to Irish people living in Dubai.

dubai irish societyIn recent years the Dubai Irish Society has forged links with other Irish associations within the Emirate most notably the Irish Business Network (“IBN”), The Dubai Celts GAA Club and The Dubai Irish Golf Society. Through these links they have seen the society grow from strength to strength with record numbers of Gaelic Football teams traveling in from around the Gulf to attend the annual Dubai Duty Free Gulf Gaelic Games and also our social gatherings consistently boasting sold out events.

Their main annual events are the St Patricks Day Ball, The Rose of Dubai, Rose of Tralee Ball and Santa In The Desert.

For more information, event listings and membership details visit www.irishsocietydubai.com

Irish expats may also join the Dubai Celts and the Irish Business Network while living here in Dubai, for more information about the two visit this page here


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History Of St Patrick's Day
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17th because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17th in the year 461 AD. St. Patrick was born in 385 AD somewhere along the west coast of Britain, possibly in the Welsh town of Banwen.  So St Patrick wasn’t actually Irish!

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century and has nowadays become a non- religious, world- wide celebration of Irish culture in general. Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by Irish expats all over the world, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably one of the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world!

Green, green and more green
Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.

SEE ALSO: Amazingly easy Irish Soda Bread

St Patrick's Day around the world...
Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dublin holds a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival over 3 days that features loads of activities and parades. In America, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17th. Some towns and cities paint their street markings green for the day! In Chicago, the river is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737 and Montreal is home to Canada’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1824.

 

 
 

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