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.

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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.

Dublin. AP/Peter Morrison

Dublin. AP/Peter Morrison

Dublin. AP/Peter Morrison
New York. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

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.

Savannah. AP/Stephen B. Morton

Savannah. AP/Stephen B. Morton

New York. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

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.

Romania. AP/Andreea Alexandru

Dublin. AP/Peter Morrison

Los Angeles. AP/Jae C. Hong

Kate Middleton gave this dog a shamrock. England. AP/ Kirsty Wigglesworth

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.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. Savannah. AP/ Stephen B. Morton

Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Mons Barracks, Aldershot. AP/ Kirsty Wigglesworth.

Mayor de Blasio didn't march in the parade, but did this. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Except for this guy, who seems to be having an excellent time:

The 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.

New York. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Boston. REUTERS/Dominick Reuter

Washington, D.C. AP /Alex Brandon

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.