A Taxonomy of St. Patrick's Day Parade Revelers
Every year, St. Patrick's Day, Irish enthusiasts march to show their commitment to wearing green, partying hard, and looking for people to fall for that old "Kiss Me" button.
.Every year, St. Patrick's Day, Irish enthusiasts march to show their commitment to wearing green, partying hard, and looking for people to fall for that old "Kiss Me" button. The obligatory St. Paddy's Day parade has become a tradition of its own — as has the fighting, at least in some places, over the exclusion of LGBT groups from participating in the event. So much so that the marching bands and flag waving are more recognizable to modern-day observers than the religious feast originally intended to mark the anniversary of the death of Ireland's patron saint.
The parade has become such a storied, widespread practice on this day that anyone who has been to one knows to expect a certain type of person to participate — or at least dress for the occasion — and this year, we weren't disappointed. No matter what city you decided to celebrate in on this holiday, these were the people you probably ran across today:
The overly happy
We're not entirely sure why people get so excited about parades, but they do. They really do love a parade.
The overly dressed
We aren't saying that green beer is ultimately responsible for some of the more outlandish clothing you see at a parade, but if you're picking out a wacky wig, it certainly doesn't hurt.
The questionably willing
Sometimes you're a child or an animal and attending the parade is simply not up to you. We're sorry, it's not your fault.
The Politicians/Royalty
They might not be Irish, and they may not even like parades, but showing up to things like this (or not showing up) is all part of the job.
Except for this guy, who seems to be having an excellent time:
Rob Ford dresses up for St. Patrick’s Day. http://t.co/KRo6z6VeCi pic.twitter.com/JSltLsCIQ3
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) March 17, 2014The out of place
And, per usual, there are always those revelers who seem like they just don't know how they ended up doing what they're doing, but they might as well go along with it anyway.
