Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2024

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The day to ‘go green’ is upon us again and as we plow our way deeper into 2024 it’s great to have a day that reminds us that being lucky is (sometimes) better than being smart. And if you look carefully this St. Patrick’s Day, you just might find some sweet deals hiding at the end of the rainbow for you to take advantage of in the spirit of the holiday.

But before we dive into the deal-o-rama, let’s first thank our lucky stars for this holiday and give it a solid head nod by recognizing why we bother getting green and (somewhat) wrecked on this most festive of March observances!

Who Was St. Patrick Anyway?

As the long-held patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick is probably the most widely known figure in Irish folklore due mainly to the myriad of stories traditionally told about him, including the famous tale of his booting all the snakes from Ireland, which (although many think this is a stretch) makes for a great tale, if only the product of exaggerated storytelling that has piled up over the ages concerning this saint. The funny thing is that, for all of his prevalence in modern-day culture, (evidenced by the holiday held on the day of his death), his life remains a bit of a mystery to historians and storytellers alike.

But one thing is for sure, we know that St. Patrick was the ultimate deal-maker in his day and age, and here are few things to back that claim up:

• When he was between 14 - 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by Irish raiders, but somehow he talked them out of killing him and wound up herding sheep for them instead.

• After more than 6 years as a prisoner, he escaped and according to his writing, a voice spoke to him, telling him to leave Ireland.

• He walked roughly 200 miles from where he had been held to the Irish coast (no small feat in those days) and then promptly escaped to Britain – talk about needing new socks afterwards!

• 15 years later, he returned and convinced the Irish inhabiting the island to incorporate their traditional rituals into his worldview, instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs such as using bonfires to celebrate Easter.

• It’s said he pronounced that that everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day after getting ticked at a local innkeeper who shorted him on whiskey shots.

And regardless of the pinpoint accuracy of his exploits (which is usually where fiction meets ‘folk-legend’), one thing is for sure, St. Patty knew how to talk people into doing things! Okay. So he’s literally the authority in making deals on the Emerald Isles… so what? Well, if you’re anything like us, you’ll be wantin’ to take advantage of St. Patty’s Day this year by (at the very least) partaking in the finest of its traditions while you can get away with it!

10 Little Known Facts About St. Patrick's Day!

1. St. Patrick was actually not Irish, he was English.

2. His real name was Maewyn Succat.

3. He never rid Ireland of snakes because Ireland is one of the few countries that never had any snakes.

4. St Patrick's color was blue, not green. In fact, most of the country, including its flag, were represented by blue at first, with green making an appearance later, possibly due to the color of the country's countryside, eventually leading to it moniker of The Emerald Isle.

5. As of 2017, there are more people with Irish ancestry in the United States (34 million) than in Ireland currently (4.2 million).

6. In Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day, the rivers are dyed green.

7. The first St. Patrick's parade in Dublin did not happen until 1931, and it wasn't a national holiday in Ireland until 1903.

8. On an average day, people drink 5.5 million pints of Guinness around the world. That number more then doubles on St. Patrick's Day, with more than 13 million pints being consumed.

9. The shamrock is not the national symbol of Ireland. The harp is.

10. Contrary to popular belief, corned beef and cabbage is not really a native Irish meal.

What Can You Get Away With on St. Patrick’s Day?

Like many holidays that are based in folk-legend, St. Patrick’s Day has a number of long-standing traditions that folks both here and abroad proudly (and sometimes regrettably) take up once a year during this celebration of The Land of Saints and Scholars! Among them are:

• Drowning the Shamrock - In this custom (named after St. Patty’s previously described drinking declaration), you wear a shamrock on your lapel or hat and then drop it into your last drink of the evening!

• Get Corny With It – Gather together and share a “traditional” Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage, which (interestingly) only started incorporating the corned beef at around the turn of the century.

• Going Green - Celebrants of this holiday take the opportunity to dress up as a Leprechaun or even as Saint Patrick himself, while a more subdued approach is to simply use don face paint (or green socks if you prefer).

• Irish Music & Festivals – When it comes to rowdy music, there’s no shortage of shenanigans with traditional (and non-traditional) Irish rockers! This once-a-year occurrence is revered in virtually every city on St. Patty’s day, including the St. Patrick’s Day Orlando – Raglan Road Festival at Disney Springs… a festival that’s sure to rock your socks off!

With so much to do this St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll be wanting to plan ahead and maybe make a trip of it if you’re going to have any chance of getting lucky! To that end, here’s a deal to keep on the lookout for!

St. Patrick’s Day Travel Deals in 2023

At Westgate Resorts we’re all about celebrating pints and parades o’plenty. As always, keep rockin’ your socks off this St. Patrick’s Day and may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Learn more about festivals in NYC, RV camping in Florida, Lake Buena Vista Orlando, and explore the best hotels in Branson at these links!

At Westgate Resorts, when you Check-In, there’s a LOT to Check-Out! Your vacation awaits. Start planning your next vacation today or talk with a vacation planner at 888-852-2959 or 407-355-2690.