St. Patrick's Day: New York City celebrates with annual parade

World
Europe

02:45

St. Patrick's Day is a major holiday in New York City, home to one of the largest populations of Irish Americans in the country. But when it comes to celebrating in this global crossroads, anyone can be Irish for a day. Here's CGTN's Liling Tan, in the heart of Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Marching bands, shamrocks, green hats, green hair, green clothing, green everything!

LILING TAN NEW YORK "I'm here on a major thoroughfare in New York: Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, where you can see the St. Patrick's Day Parade is well under way here. Thirty-five streets have been cordoned off for celebrations, from 44th Street to 79th Street, and as you can see, the turnout is massive."

Thousands of people have flocked to the parade, most of them Irish Americans from around the country.

"It's St. Patrick's Day, we gotta be here."

"Cause we're Irish."

Some of them just Irish for the day.

"Are you Irish every day or Irish just today?"

"Irish just today."

"So where are you guys from?"

"Scotland."

"Germany."

"England!"

Asian girl: "Today's a special day, St. Patrick's Day, so I'm Irish for only today."

And these ladies from Ireland.

"Where are you guys?"

"From Ireland."

"So you're Irish."

"Irish!"

"Do New Yorkers celebrate it the way you celebrate it in Ireland?"

"Ya quite good ya, much bigger and much longer."

Since St. Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday this year, New York celebrates the occasion the day before, beginning with mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral before the parade that runs from 11 am to 5 pm.

LILING TAN NEW YORK "So a big part of St. Patrick's Day is of course, this green gear and beer. Now alcohol has been banned at the parade, so a lot of that action will be taking place at bars across the city. So now I'm going to get myself a Guinness."

Irish pubs are aplenty around Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, and it wasn't long before I found one, already packed with people from the parade.

LILING TAN NEW YORK "And of course the very Irish thing to do is to cap the festivities with the perfect pint. I'm Liling Tan, for CGTN, in New York City, and Irish for a day. Cheers!"