Saint Patrick’s is a religious and cultural celebration held on 17 March at the traditional death date of the foremost patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.

The landmarks go Green for St. Patrick’s Day around the World, the buildings across the world specially in Ireland have been floodlit green for the global celebrations of the Emerald Isle’s patron saint that culminating in parades and celebrations in New York, Dublin and scores of other cities on Tuesday.

In Ireland, President Michael Higgins attended Mass at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin and the culmination of a four-day festival, featuring dance and music performances, cultural tours, pub crawls and street arcades, which hundreds of thousands of Dubliners and tourists are attending. There are also face-painted dancers.

Enda Kenny, the Prime Minister of Ireland and after weekend visits to Georgia and Texas, he was a guest of honor at the White House Later Tuesday.

Later Tuesday, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is guest of honor at the White House following weekend visits to Georgia and Texas. Almost his entire Cabinet has spent the past week traveling worldwide promoting Ireland’s tourism, culture and strong rebound from a crippling 2008 banking crisis.

In the United States there was an event in some American cities bigger than even in Ireland. This year’s holiday falls on a Tuesday, most U.S. towns and cities held their festivities early on the weekend, where more than 40 million citizens with Irish blood, celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.