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Written by Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer and reprinted with permission.
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Believe it or not, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with parades didn’t originate in Ireland, but instead started and became popular in North American colonies centuries ago. What began as a Catholic feast day and gained more recognition with these colonial celebrations is today one of America’s biggest cultural holidays. More than 31.2 million people in the U.S. claim Irish ancestry, nearly six times the population of Ireland. As this lucky group of people expanded over the centuries, so too did American St. Paddy’s Day traditions. Chicago, for instance, gained fame for dyeing its river green, while other places are now known for their elaborate pageants, pub crawls or long processions of marching bagpipers. Americans are projected to spend $7 billion this year on the holiday.
But not every city celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is worth kissing the Irish for. WalletHub compared 200 of the largest cities across 15 key metrics to find the best places to wear green and save some money. Its data set ranges from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to the lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to the weather forecast.
Reno ranked No. 2 as the best city to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, with Las Vegas ranking No. 23 and Boston ranking No. 1. So dress in green, enjoy some traditional Irish cuisine and be careful with that green beer.
