Americans are expected to spend record amounts of green this St. Patrick’s Day. The March 17 holiday that originally honored St. Patrick — who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century — has evolved to embrace Irish food, music and the Emerald Isle’s signature color. And Americans who plan to celebrate are expected to drop a collective $6.9 billion this year, according to the National Retail Foundation. That’s $1 billion more than last year’s holiday spending, and the highest since the NRF (the world’s largest retail trade organization) began surveying consumers about their St. Paddy’s Day plans more than a decade ago. The nearly $7 billion figure breaks down to $43.84 per person on average, the NRF reports, although men are expected to spend about $10 more than women (an average of $48.71 each) — and fellas are spending more than women on alcoholic beverages, which For better or worse, other aspects of the holiday have become dominant. Women, meanwhile, are spending more than men in every other category, including food, clothing, decorations and greeting cards, the NRF says. Most St. Paddy’s Day supporters mark the occasion by wearing green (80%), cooking a special dinner (31%) and/or decorating their home or office (26%), the NRF reports. But going out and consuming alcoholic beverages has also become a big part of the tradition. Most Americans plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green. Getty Images Consumer insights company Numerator conducted its St. Patrick’s Day survey on what Americans are buying for the holiday. It found that more than one in three (36%) plan to toast the date by buying alcoholic beverages. Beer is by far the most popular choice, with 70% of hobbyists who plan to drink alcohol opting for suds. But 34% say they’re buying spirits, and 29% will buy some wine. Also, St. Patrick’s Day is a big day for Irish beers like Guinness and Smithwick, which more than double their domestic penetration (aka the percentage of total households they reach within a geographic area) in March, compared to the average month, according to the number. What’s more, Gen Z and Millennial drinkers are twice as likely to buy hard seltzer for St. Patrick’s Day as consumers overall, Ansh adds. Check out these holiday St. Patrick’s Day facts and figures in this chart: St. Patrick’s Day by the Numbers: Here’s How Americans Celebrate the Holiday. MarketWatch Restaurant chains and brands are also getting in on the fun, with McDonald’s MCD, +0.37% mixing its annual Minty Green Shamrock Shake and Cold Stone Creamery scooping Lucky Charms ice cream with fan-favorite marshmallows from General Mills GIS. , -0.28% breakfast cereal. And Krispy Kreme customers who wear a green shirt on St. Patrick’s Day will score a free green glazed donut. And, of course, plenty of cities celebrate their Irish population with St. Patrick’s Day parades. New York City hosted the world’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17, 1762 — before the Declaration of Independence — featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English army. This became an annual event, and is now the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world, with about 150,000 people marching before 2 million spectators. Chicago also has an awesome parade — although the Windy City’s parade was held last weekend, as it always is on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day. But Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Savannah, Georgia also host St. Patrick’s Day parades this week. And 15% of St. Paddy’s Day participants told the NRF they plan to go to the parade.
