The 199th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade took place Sunday in the Quebec metropolis to celebrate Irish heritage.
This edition was marked, among others, by the presence of the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante.
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The mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, participated in the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Musicians, floats and thousands of participants took to the streets of downtown Montreal.
The traditional parade began at noon at the corner of rue du Fort and boulevard Maisonneuve, then went down the boulevard to the corner of rue Jeanne-Mance. The festivities ended around 3 p.m.
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Bagpipe players during the traditional St. Patrick’s Day parade in Montreal
A spectator interviewed by Radio-Canada wanted to emphasize the importance of remembering our culture and highlighting different cultures linked to each other.
A couple of friends, a little further down the street, mentioned the joy of the festivities. St. Patrick’s Day is a festive holiday. We came to celebrate for fun!
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Members of the crowd were dressed in green to mark St. Patrick’s Day.
Special meaning in Montreal
Traditionally a Catholic holiday, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved over time into a celebration for Irish people around the world. Numerous parades took place today across the country, including Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. However, the parade has a very special meaning in Montreal because of the Irish heritage well established in the metropolis.
Indeed, as early as 1833, the coat of arms of Montreal displayed a shamrock to highlight the Irish presence on the island. The Montreal flag was to feature the same symbol years later.
This nod to the contribution of the Irish to Quebec is not anecdotal. Montrealers owe the Lachine Canal and the Victoria Bridge in particular to the first Irish community to arrive in Quebec in the 1830s. This provided not only a skilled workforce but also a host of traditions.
The first parade in Montreal to honor Saint Patrick dates back to 1824. Saint Patrick is a somewhat mythical character and quite intriguing for historians. There is a lack of documentation and clear written archives in his case, explained historian Évelyne Ferron in an interview with First the weekend infoon ICI RDI.
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A giant Saint Patrick took part in the Saint Patrick’s Day parade.
In the 5th century AD, Patricius – the Latin name for Saint Patrick – is said to have been kidnapped by pirates in England at the age of 15 or 16. He then found himself in Ireland, which had not yet been influenced by Christianity at that time, Ms. Ferron said.
Saint Patrick therefore lived with Celtic Druids and even became a shepherd. But one day he had enough and started praying to God. He asked him if he would ever be free again. Saint Patrick was told that not only was he going to regain his freedom but that he was going to return to Ireland one day in order to Christianize the Irish, continued Ms. Ferron.
Patricius would then have returned to England to educate himself and immerse himself in the holy scriptures.
In the 430s, evangelical missions traveled to Ireland to convert the locals to Christianity. Saint Patrick joined in these missions.
According to legend, Saint Patrick used the image of the three-leaf clover to explain to the Celts the concept of the Holy Trinity, said Ms. Ferron.