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'Sober St. Patrick's Day' gains popularity in New York City
Alcohol has been at the center of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, but there's a growing movement in the city that is seeking to embrace the holiday's religious roots, without the need for alcohol. FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini has the story.
NEW YORK - There’s a long tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in New York City, and usually booze is front and center. That is, of course, typical to many holidays celebrated here in the United States.
"There’s so many things to celebrate about the Irish and oftentimes it gets confused," said Jim Frawley.
He sits on the board of directors of an organization dedicated to embracing the purity of St. Patrick’s Day. Sober St. Patrick’s Day annually hosts a party with a lot to do but without the alcohol.
"There’s so much more to Ireland than just the booze," Frawley added.
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From bridges to buildings to pubs, New York City will always have a touch of Ireland thanks to newcomers who arrived on our shores at the turn of the last century.
St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration established in the 17th century. It takes place on March 17 in honor of Saint Patrick, and is recognized internationally.
New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is an annual family event which usually kicks off the day along 5th Avenue, and then the bars fill up.
Of course, many New Yorkers skip straight to the bars.
Luckily, a bar in Greenwich Village is already decorated to celebrate the day.
The owner, Abby Ehmann, is ready to cater to the conventional crowd. However, she also owns Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge just across the street, which is a non-alcoholic bar.
"The people who are going to be coming to the sober St. Patrick’s Day party here are just people who still just want to celebrate the holiday but aren’t drinking alcohol," she said.
With more non-alcohol options and gatherings making it mainstream recently, there clearly is interest out there in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day sober.
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The annual parade will march along 5th Avenue, starting at 44th Street and running to 79th Street.