St Patrick"s Day 2016: Unusual places that celebrate the Irish event across the globe (and even in space)

Top 5 Facts about St Patricks Day

The Irish are by no means the only ones celebrating St Patrick"s Day this year - and you may be surprised by some of the places joining in with the festivities.

Every year on March 17, millions of people don ginger wigs, green jackets and shamrock-adorned top hats.

They then crowd into bars across the world, where they down pints of Guinness from as early as 9 or 10am.

Iconic sights around the globe often are made to glow green in tribute to the Irish, but other places have their own unique ways of celebrating.

And as it turns out, the festivities are not just limited to our planet.

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Chicago, USA

The Chicago River has been turning green each year for more than four decades in honour of St Patrick"s Day.

You have to be quick, because the river only stays green for five hours.

Parades go through the city each year to celebrate and this year Chicago is hosting the Emerald Mile race.

Workers spread an orange powder to dye the Chicago River green before the city"s St Patrick"s Day Parade

Monserrat, Caribbean

Nearly 4,500 people on the Caribbean island descend from Irish settlers, so St Patrick"s Day is well celebrated here.

The island hosts a week-long celebration in honour of the patron saint, with steel drum bands playing.

Read more: St Patrick"s Day 2016: Eight delicious (and slightly bizarre) food and drink recipes to celebrate the Irish event

Residents also take part in a Freedom Run, which symbolises what both Irish and African slaves were once subjected to.

Montserrat is the only other place outside of Ireland that celebrates St. Patricks Day as a national holiday.

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Outer space

Many astronauts have commemorated the Irish festival from the International Space Station.

Irish-American astronaut Cady Coleman played a 100-year old flute as a tribute in 2011.

Tim Peake sent Wales a special St David"s Day message from space, so maybe he will do the same for Ireland

Chris Hadfield recorded a cover of the Irish classic "Danny Boy" and sent it down from orbit.

And this year Tim Peake sent Wales a special St David"s Day message from space, so maybe the astronaut will do the same for Ireland.

Nebraska, USA

O"Neill in Nebraska is the official Irish capital and has strong ties to Ireland.

Each St Patrick"s Day, a giant shamrock is painted in the middle of the road at the intersction of Route 281 and Highway 20 as a reminder of the town"s Irish heritage.

Read more: Dublin"s fair city is the ideal spot for a weekend break and not just for St Patrick"s Day

Greenwich, London

Even the Royal Greenwich Observatory celebrates St Patrick"s Day as the Meridian mean time line has been known to turn a shade of green.

The Meridian Line at the Royal Greenwich Observatory is decorated green by Tourism Ireland

A woman stands over the time line in south east London on St Patrick"s Day

Ise, Japan

The Japanese are really big on St Patrick"s Day and a huge parade is organised at the Ise Shrine.

More than 500 marchers take part in the festivities and play bagpipes, dance and dress up like leprechauns.

The Irish Network of Japan organises events across the country to bring the two nations together.

A huge parade is organised at the Ise Shrine in Japan every St Patrick"s Day

Banwen, Wales

It has been suggested that Banwen in Wales was the actual birthplace of St Patrick.

St Patrick, the son of a deacon and the grandson of a priest, was actually not born Irish but is believed to have grown up in Roman Britain.

To commemorate his "birthplace", Welsh pipers march down Roman Road towards a stone in memory of the patron saint.

St Patrick was actually not born Irish but is believed to have grown up in Roman Britain

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/st-patricks-day-2016-unusual-7538880