Summarize the following:
What better way to celebrate the quintessential Irish holiday than a trip to the land of Saints and Scholars! Dublin, the capital city, usually holds a five day festival in honor of the holiday and is the location of Ireland's largest and most impressive St. Patrick's Day parade. The city buzzes with life over the course of the festival - thousands of tourists flood the city and the pubs are overflowing with travelers and locals alike, eager to "drown the shamrock". So if you're looking to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in true Irish fashion, this is the place to be! Alternatively, you can take a trip down the country to escape from the tourist-ridden streets of Dublin and experience a somewhat quieter, but more authentic version of the holiday. Most towns will have some semblance of a parade - the quality varying from decent to poor - but the real reason to go is for the vibrant pub-scene, where you can enjoy high-quality traditional and contemporary Irish music surrounded by an authentic Irish crowd! As mentioned above, thousands of tourists flock to Ireland every March so it's advisable to book flights and accommodation well in advance, to avoid soaring prices and possible disappointment. Beer and spirits are not the only great consumable goods to come out of Ireland. Corned beef, cabbage and lamb stew accompanied by traditional Irish soda bread are tasty ways to "keep it real." Potatoes are about as Irish as you can get and are one of the staples of the Irish diet. Traditional Irish foods include bangers and mash, colcannon, bacon (boiled ham) and cabbage, stew, boxty, Shepherd's Pie, potato bread and black pudding. In Ireland, the day is usually celebrated by eating food such as pink bacon or savory roast chicken. Note that corned beef and cabbage is more of an Irish-American tradition than an authentically Irish one. Ireland has a long history with music, and many incredible styles have emerged. Celtic, folk and traditional Irish pub songs might just get you in the St. Patrick's Day spirit! You can play some Irish music at home, listen to it on the radio (some stations will have special St. Patrick's Day features) or find out about any Irish bands or musicians playing locally. Find a compilation CD of traditional Irish songs or download some individual songs online. You should easily be able to find traditional Irish music by artists such as The Chieftains, The Dubliners, Planxty and Clannad, for example. If traditional music isn't your thing, don't forget about the many contributions Irish musicians have made to the world of rock and pop. Think U2, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy and The Cranberries. Alternatively, you can try your hand at some traditional Irish instruments, such as the tin whistle, the bodhran, the harp, the fiddle or the uilleann pipes. However, you're not likely to produce anything very melodic sounding if it's your first time! If you can't make it to the five day festival in Dublin, Ireland, check out the scene locally. Many parades feature the best of local dance troupes, marching bands, gymnasts and musicians in addition to spectacular themed floats and brightly costumed participants. You can enjoy the parade as a spectator or contact your local parade organization committee to get involved. There are many ways to participate in your local parade. You can get dressed up and march in the parade yourself, help design costumes or floats or help out with the organization of the parade. St. Patrick's day is a festive, communal holiday - so get involved! Though small towns aren't likely to have parades, many large cities such as New York City, Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Montreal and Sydney have great celebrations. Savannah, GA boasts the second largest parade in the United States, while out of any US state, Boston has the highest number of Irish descendants by percentage of population, and its South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade is the first recorded anywhere in the world. Most bars and pubs love St. Patrick's Day, as it's one of the few holidays known for a marked increase in alcohol consumption, so many will be catering to patrons with a festive St. Patrick's theme. You may find special prices on draft beer, food and cover charges. Call around to your favorite joints and ask if they have any celebration plans. A pub crawl can be a great way to get some friends together and explore the local pub scene, especially if there are a lot of Irish bars in your area. Make a list of the pubs you want to visit in advance (if you are ambitious you could aim for 17 pubs in honor of March 17th!), then make a rule that everyone needs to have a pint in each pub you visit. 17 pints of Guinness anyone? It would be a shame to drink Budweiser on St. Patrick's Day, regardless of where in the world you are. If Guinness isn't your thing, try a pint of Bulmers (also called Magners) cider, Smithwick's ale, Jameson Irish whiskey or some Bailey's Irish cream. Whatever you drink, avoid any green beer. If you aren't a fan of the bar scene but still want to celebrate, invite a few friends over and have a St. Patrick's Day themed party. Go as extreme or as laid back as you want: insist that everyone wear green or just have them come as they are and chill out with a few beers. Consider starting a tradition, such as watching a movie, "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara is a fun choice; serve corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew with colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage). Make green beer and green chocolate chip cookies for your party. In Ireland it is common to get together with family for St. Patrick's Day, so perhaps you'd like to do this too.
Travel to Ireland. Eat traditional Irish food. Play some Irish music. Attend or get involved in local parades. Check out the pub scene. Consider having a party at home.