It is, of course, the day when the Irish take over, with even Donald Trump letting the rivers run green on St Paddy’s Day.
Whisper it but The Donald has kept the tradition, started by Michelle Obama, alive of dyeing the fountain on the White House North Lawn an emerald hue.
But hey, the 45th and 47th President considers himself a great friend of the Irish.
Particularly the Irish-Americans who he namechecked in meeting Taoiseach Micheal Martin for voting him into the White House.
Of course, The Donald may believe green is also a good way of ‘draining the swamp’ in Washington.
It was too a very practical solution to a drain problem that inadvertently gave rise to the greening the water tradition.
Now synonymous with St Paddy’s Day in America.
And which Chicagoan Michelle was only too glad to adapt to her new Washington surroundings when she and Barack lived in the White House.
The Limey City
Nor would The Donald want it to be mentioned that it was a Democrat who got the whole thing flowing.
When in 1961 Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley used a special green dye to clean up the river which had become a dumping ground.
Or more specifically Daley’s pal Stephen Bailey, also the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade chairman.
Whether Daley and Bailey had heard that Savannah, Georgia, had tried to counter their problem by greening up, Chicago has dined out on their dye job ever since.
And other emerald cities
Now where Chicago led others followed.
With San Antonio‘s businessmen dyeing the River City Walk, an unmatched oasis in a city.
And they keep their river green a whole three days rather than Chicago’s half a dozen hours, around the same length of time Tampa Bay, Florida colours their water.
Randomly Indianapolis and Charlotte, North Carolina both get into the greening around St Paddy’s.
And so while Indianapolis colours their canal green over their four days of partying.
Charlotte goes one step further with participants in their 5k run dousing themselves in green.
All of which points to it being green for go for the Irish in America.
Particularly with Donald Trump letting the rivers run green on St Paddy’s Day.