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It’s the one day of the year to turn green with pride, not envy.

Stock up corned beef, cabbage and Guinness because the countdown to St. Patrick’s Day is underway. We break down who celebrates it and what celebrants purchase for the occasion.

Celebrating

About 56% of Americans celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in 2017 even though just 10% of the US population claims Irish ancestry (32.7 million).  It’s the day to celebrate the Irish no matter what a person’s actual heritage is.

It’s a popular holiday. St. Patrick’s Day is ranked the 4^th most popular drinking day of the year and is the

8^th most popular holiday in the U.S for sending greeting cards.

The top 5 ways people celebrate include:

• 83% wear green

• 31% make a special dinner

• 28% attend a party at a bar/restaurant

• 23% decorate home or office

• 15% attend a private party

New York, Chicago and Savannah are known for their St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivals.

Spending

The average St. Patrick’s Day partier spends $38.

Here’s how much each age group planned to spend on St. Patty’s Day in 2017:

• $46.5 Million 25-34

• $43.2 Million 35-44

• $40.3 Million 45-54

• $37.2 Million 18-24

• $33.7 Million 55-64

St. Patrick’s Day spending has increased over the past decade. Total spending by year:

• 2017 $5.3 Billion

This is a 20% increase from 2016 and a 39% increase from 2007.

• 2016 $4.4 Billion

• 2007 $3.8 Billion

Irish staples are in high demand.

• 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patrick’s Day worldwide.

• There’s a 70% increase in cabbage shipments during St. Patrick’s week.

• Americans consume 23.7 Billion pounds of corned beef during St. Patrick’s Day week.

Bonus Stats on Irish Americans:

• The median household income for Irish Americans is $8,547 higher than the median for all households. This is a 15% increase income. Irish American median: $64,322; all households median: $55,775.