St. Patrick's Day Around The World Slideshow

Finnegan's Irish Pub claims to be the one and only Irish-owned drinking well in Rome and Florence. Expect a St. Paddy's Day stew of British and Irish expats and international students studying abroad 

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Did you know that the world's fifth-largest Irish population resides in Argentina? On March 17, tens of thousands of Argentineans dressed in green gather in Buenos Aires' Retiro neighborhood to celebrate with a late-night street party — after mass at one of Buenos Aires' Irish Catholic churches of course.Visit The Kilkenny Irish Pub & Restaurant for a round of beers with a vibrant atmosphere.

Dubai

Check out the cool crowd at McGettigan's in Dubai, where you can enjoy the company of Irish, English, Scottish, and Welsh visitors along with live entertainment, award-winning pints of Guinness, and inventive takes on traditional Irish cuisine like seafood chowder, Wagyu beef chili fries and an open-faced prawn sandwich. St. Patrick's Day events carry on for a full week.

Savannah, Ga.

Tourists, locals, and Savannah College of Art and Design students march through Savannah, Ga., where the riverfront is dyed bright green for the annual St. Pats on the River fest, which turns 189 this year.Wash down fried oysters and she-crab soup with a cold beer under the Southern sun.

Moscow

Watch Irish jiggers and some parade-goers dressed as IRA fighters march down Arbat Street in the historic district of Moscow. Then head over to Moscow's top pubs like John Donne, Rosie O'Grady's, and Churchill's Pub for single-malt whiskeys and shepherd's pie accompanied by live music.

Boston

South Boston's official parade boasts 600,000 to 1 million participants each year. The lively parade is deeply rooted in history — 1901 marked the first St. Patrick's Day Parade on the 125th anniversary of the day General George Washington and the Continental Army forced the Brits out of Boston. Inevitably, the crowd starts and ends the parade at one of Boston's many pubs. Check out The Snug in Hingham Square for its "Perfect Pint" and rowdy fiddle and banjo sets. 

Oslo, Norway

In Oslo, an official parade gathers to celebrate Norwegian-Irish heritage with traditional Irish river-dancers and musicians donning kilts. Later, the festively dressed party-goers migrate to one of four bars inside the Dubliner Folk Pub for an authentic finale to the "party of the year." Enjoy clinking glasses of whiskey, digging into a heaping plate of bangers and mash, playing shuffleboard, and rocking out to live music.

Seoul

You might be surprised to learn that for years now the Irish Association of Korea has been hosting a St. Patrick's Day parade in South Korea — and it attracts more than 10,000 participants each year. The similarities between Irish and Korean culture are strangely apparent — both have a strong appreciation for traditional music, beer, and cabbage. Korean bands like Bard play Irish folk while Korean marching bands also join in. Guinness is the drink of choice, served along with corned cabbage and beef.

Dublin

National pride runs high in Dublin for its official five-day festival. Marching bands are flown in from as far as Oklahoma and Germany for the honor of participating in the fest. Traditional and contemporary entertainment can be found on nearly every corner and pubs are packed from morning into the wee hours of the night. Wear an extravagant costume and face paint to The People's Parade, which marches past landmarks like the General Post Office, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and City Hall. Join the St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl (March 15-17) to learn the ins and outs of Dublin drinking.

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town flips the switch and illuminates its beautiful Table Mountain with a captivating bright green color to celebrate St. Patrick's at nightfall using renewable energy (http://tablemountain.net/blog/entry/st_patricks_day_blankets_table_mountain_in_green/). The mountain bathed in green provides a spectacular backdrop for the city's parties filled with live music, traditional nosh, and Guinness on tap. After a free traditional Irish concert at the V&A Waterfront, locals and tourists get merry at The Slug and Lettuce (http://www.slugandlettuce.co.za/) and across the street at The Dubliner (http://www.dubliner.co.za/).