As March neared and began, Pleasanton prepared for its Irish festivities. Restaurants added seasonal items to their menus and businesses decorated for St. Patrick’s day. Green accents are added to decor all around and luck is in the air.

“My dad will usually go to an Irish bar to celebrate his Irish heritage. And we usually make corned beef and cabbage,” said Camden Nauroth (‘24).

The local supermarkets are often ten steps ahead when it comes to decorations. Safeway filled their shelves with St. Patrick’s day themed cookies, cupcakes, and other treats. They also put out soda bread, a classic Irish treat. In addition, streamers and green balloons decorate the store’s interior.

“On Saint Patrick’s day, my family and I always go to the Dublin street fair. It’s really fun because there’re all these different Irish foods and other stuff to celebrate,” said Catherine Nielsen (‘24)

Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley area have some Irish and British history, but the cultures have gradually diminished over time. As such, only a few shops decorated for the occasion. For example, although Primrose Bakery did decorate and add a seasonal treat, they had fewer St. Patrick’s specials than in past years.

“For St. Patrick’s, we mostly dress up in green, and we’ll have a family dinner of corned beef and cabbage as well. When I’m with my younger cousins, we build leprechaun traps, or we make it look like a leprechaun came through,” said Spencer St. John.

So is St Patrick’s day slowly dying out as a holiday? It depends, because it may just be that less people celebrate in the local region. However, every year, more than one billion people celebrate the occasion across the globe. So Pleasanton’s celebrations only reflect a small portion of the St. Patrick’s festivities.