If there is one site to see in Chicago, it’s the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day (this happens if March 17th doesn’t fall on a weekend).  There’s the parade, a sea of people wearing green pretending to be Irish for a day, lots of booze, and of course the Chicago River with its green tint:

Oh yes, if have not seen the river dyed green then you have not lived!

The tradition was started in 1962 by Steve Bailey, who was the Business Manager of the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Union #110.  It was the year that the city was putting stricter rules prohibiting companies from dumping waste into the river.  The plumbers were using a special dye in order to test the waters and it happend to mix just right with the Chicago waters to turn it into a beautiful shade of green.  He was struck with the idea, “What if we dyed the whole river this color?’ And they did!

Few people know that this is actually a privately funded tradition but every year people line up along the river by 9:30 am on the Saturday closest to St. Patty’s day to watch this penomenon.  The dye actually starts out orange but soon turns to the familiar shade.    You really should see it!

March 17th is also a special day because it’s my sister’s birthday.

So of course I ask that you wish Heather a joyous birthday!!!

I am a lot younger than my siblings but I still think they’re a great bunch of people who take the idea of family very seriously 😀  They are one of the reasons why I write mainly about family and the closeness of siblings.  So you will see other posts throughout the year when another birthday approaches 😀

Anyway, my last Chicago St. Patrick’s Day has been quite uneventful as compared to other years but at least I didn’t lose my cell phone this time!

What are your traditions with St. Patrick’s Day?