Colourful St. Patrick's Day celebrations around the world
In honor of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Chicago River is dyed green at 9 a.m. on the morning of the parade—always held the Saturday prior to or coinciding with the holiday. (See Chicago like a Nat Geo Explorer.)
At 443 feet (120 meters), the London Eye—also known as the Millennium Wheel—is Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel. It is lit with green lights on March 17 in honor of Ireland’s patron saint.
In the midst of a busy lighting schedule, the Empire State Building takes on hues of green, white, and orange every March 17. The building changes its lights for sporting events, holidays, and other occasions throughout the course of the year.
Sacré Coeur Basilica, a Roman Catholic church located near Paris’s highest point, was built over the course of more than 40 years. Like many other landmarks, both Catholic and otherwise, it is illuminated in green for St. Patrick’s Day. (How to clean the Eiffel Tower.)
Running past the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, the Vilnia River is dyed every year in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Here, onlookers watch as the river turns green. (Thousands of crosses cover this eerie hill in Europe.)
While many landmarks “go green” for free, others charge Tourism Ireland to do so. In 2014, the Sydney Opera House reportedly charged 8,000 euros—more than any other landmark.
Savannah is known for having one of the best St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S. Part of the city’s festivities is the annual “Greening of the Fountain”—dying green the main fountain in Forsyth Park.
This fountain on the south lawn of the White House takes on a green hue each March as the United States’ presidential residence celebrates St. Patrick’s Day.
In 2013, Egypt's greatest landmarks—the Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx—were illuminated by green floodlights for St. Patrick's Day for the first time. (25 captivating photos of Egypt.)