St. Patrick's Day: All things Irish celebrated around the world

Legend has it that St. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Ireland. He escaped, but returned years later to convert the Irish to Christianity. In Dublin, as in cities around the world, what wasonce asolemncelebration of a saint is todaymost commonly paired with drinkinggreen beer, shamrocks and leprechauns.

St. Patrick's Day has shifted from sacred tosecular.

Parades, parties and horse races? The annual Cheltenham Festival horse races in the U.K.are a St. Patrick's Day staple that attracts top Irish teams,and racegoerslikePaddy Cusack, alike.

St. Patrick is believed to be buried inDownpatrick.

St. Patrick,who was amedieval bishop elevated tothe patron saint of Ireland, is still celebratedon March 17the date on which he is believed to have died. The celebration features awreath laying and pilgrimage tohis grave, which is located at DownCathedral, in Northern Ireland.

One St. Patrick's Day parade now looks much like the others.

The Irish diaspora to North America is credited with transforming the day, which wasn't recognized with a parade in Ireland until the turn of the 19th Century. In Dublin, where parade-goers heard this brass marching band, the celebrations looked much as they do in North American cities.

St. Pat's parades began in New York or maybe it was Boston?

The first St. Patrick's Day parade was likely held in New York Cityin1762, according to the parade's official website.

According to organizers of Boston's annual march, it wasn't until1901 that the first official parade was held in that city, although there are references to homesick Irish immigrants recognizing their patron saint as early as1737.

InNew York,which alsolaysclaimto thenation's largest St. Pat'sparade, the annual celebration marched down Fifth Avenue at its customary start time of 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.

St. Patrick's Day is now less about the man and more about all things Irish.

St. Patrick is also the patron saint of New York and the state's archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan,servesas the city's paradeGrand Marshall. That's him on Fifth Avenue.

Prince William handedout shamrocks.

As is customary, Prince Williamtookpart in a St. Patrick's Day paradeat the Irish Guards at Cavalry Barracks, in west London,wearinga sprig of shamrock on his hat.

Celebrations were held around the world.

Traditional Irish dancers, like this troupe performing outside an Irish pub in Sydney, Australia, are these daysas commonplace as Guinnessand shamrocks at St. Patrick's Day celebrations the world over.

Irish heritage was on display in Toronto, too.

A convoy of DeLoreans, which werebuilt in Belfast in the early 1980s, are a St. Patrick's Day parade tradition in Toronto and rolled down Yonge Streeton Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Kitchener-Waterloo

Police weren't taking any chances as students in theuniversity town prepared for St. Patrick's Day parties.Last year, campus police at Wilfrid Laurier University, as well asCity of Waterloo bylaw officers, laid nearly 270 alcohol-relatedcharges including 204 having to do with possession ofopen alcohol.