Hit the Web this St. Patrick’s Day

Whether you’re Irish or just wish you were, St. Patrick’s Day is a fine reason to check out places that celebrate Celtic history and tradition – and that provide a good party.

It wouldn’t be Irish without shamrocks. Get an unexpected slant on the holiday at Shamrock, Texas (www.shamrocktx.net/), where they observe St. Patrick’s Day with a country fair and a rodeo.

If that’s a little untraditional for you, there’s lots of green, including the park fountains, in Savannah, Ga. The city claims the nation’s second largest St. Patrick’s Day parade (www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com/) and one of the oldest, complete with a Celtic Cross ceremony and the Greening of the Fountain.

From Savannah’s green fountains, move up to the greening of the river at Chicago (www.chicagostpatsparade.com/) and enjoy the city’s 51st annual St. Patty’s parade.

Don’t forget Boston, where there’s a complete Boston Irish Tourism Association (www.irishmassachusetts.com/index.html) with a list of the area’s parades. There’s also a directory of Irish bars and restaurants such as the Last Hurrah, a politicians’ hangout that has been around for almost 150 years.

Of course, this country’s best-known celebration is New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade up Fifth Avenue (www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/NYC/newyorkcity.htm).

Check out the parade history – the first one on record was in lower Manhattan in 1762 – and look for the suggestions for best viewing spots. For other parades around New York and the rest of the country, click on “Home” in the upper left corner.

The parade has to be on Fifth Avenue because that’s where St. Patrick’s Cathedral sits. Visit the Archdiocese (http://ny-archdiocese.org/pastoral/) and click on the Cathedral link to learn about its history.