THE VAMPIRE DAIRIES

T H E    V A M P I R E    D A I R I E S

There has always been a fascination with vampires.  Starting from 1897 with the  Irish Author - Bram Stokes, who introduced the character Count Dracula, which told of the story of Dracula trying to move from Transylvania to England, and also the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing, as they tried to destroy Dracula, who was a creature of the night, and sucked the blood from his victims.  

Many films, and theatre interpretations, have derived from "the most famous Vampire" Count Dracula, with more modern ones being "TRUE BLOOD" , "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES", which is currently showing on Television  and in November this year  the very last of the Movie Blockbuster series,   "THE TWILIGHT SAGA - BREAKING DAWN PART 2", will you be a Team Edward, and dress up in a  Vampire-Costume or Team Jacob, and dress up in  Black-Werewolf-Facial-Hair  to celebrate the last of these films, or to even celebrate Halloween?

Starting in October is the next season of the much anticipated and popular   "The Vampire Dairies", screen written from the books by L.J. Smith. The story of this involves two brothers Stefan and Damon "both Vampires" and "Elena", and the supernatural, and the Town that they live,  Mystic Falls.   For all your vampire and  Halloween needs,  visit Party Tracker spellbinding website for all your fiendish and ghoulish needs.

Celebrate Halloween 2012 The Whole Week

H     A     L     L     O     W     E     E     N

It is now the Halloween season which is our favourite time of year. If you, like us, enjoy going out with the children, Trick or Treating, or having a Birthday Party to celebrate Halloween. As William Shakespear quoted: 'Tis now the very witching time of night."

We have a wide and varied selection of Halloween treat bags, ideal or trick or treating, or party bags, ideal for any Halloween event.

At Party Tracker we have a new online Halloween Shop, with Halloween fancy dress costumes and accessories such as boys skeleton costumes, a firestarter wig with horns and girls witch costumes.
Whatever, your requirements for this ghoulish and spooky time of year, check out our Party Tracker website for your fancy dress and party needs.

Halloween Fancy Dress Trick or Treating

H A L L O W E E N

Winter is coming closer and closer to us, the nights have started to draw in, and it is now getting darker earlier and earlier. Summer has now come to an end and it is that time of year when we start thinking about Halloween. Are you having a party, do you and your family dress up for this festive season. Do you go for the traditional costumes? Do you dress up as a witch or a vampire? Are you having a birthday party, perhaps with a Halloween theme. will you be dressing up your house or hall with Halloween decorations. At PARTY TRACKER we have a wide and varied selection of fancy dress Halloween costumes for children and Halloween costumes for adults. Check out our Halloween fancy dress and accessories today and contact us if you need any help. We at Party Tracker love a good excuse to dress up and have a party, and will be sorting out our Halloween costumes very soon. Let us know how your party or trick or treating goes!

Where's Wally - Have you found him?

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          E                                                 L
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                               S                 

The Where's Wally?, character was originally published in the United States and Canada, and is a series of children's books, which were created by British illustrator Martin Handford. The readers of the Where's Wally books have to find Wally, who is a world traveller and time traveller within the many illustrations.
Wally wears a distinctive red and white striped shirt, bobble hat and glasses, but is hidden in groups in the pictures. There is quite often "red herrings", within these pictures, which sometimes use red and white striped objects, making it even harder to locate Wally.

The first Where's Wally book was published in 1987 in the UK, and has expanded into many different storylines, including a TV Series, a Comic Strip Strip and Video Games.

Wally originally wandered alone and could be found in every page of the books, but over time more and more characters have appeared. They are Wilma, Wenda, and Woof who is Wenda's dog.

There is also Wizard Whitebeard, who you can easily recognise by his long white beard and it is Wizard Whitebeard who sends Wally on all of his quests. There is also Odlaw, who is Wally's enemy and he is noticeable by his yellow and black shirt, his glasses have a blue tint to them and he has a moustache. If you spell Odlaw backwards, it spells Waldo, this used to be Wallys original name.

There is also the famous Wally Watcher's, there are 99 of them and they appear where ever Wally is.

At Party Tracker, we are great Wally Watcher's and love nothing better than to host Wally theme parties, where we send out Wheres Wally Impossible Invitations, and then decorate our party tables with Wheres Wally Tricky Table Covers, and Wheres Wally Perplexing Paper Plates.  So for all you Wally Watcher's out there, visit our website for your Wheres Wally partyware and accessories.

                           

London Notting Hill Carnival Party Supplies

N O T T I N G    H I L L  

  C A R N I V A L

This weekend it is the last Bank Holiday weekend of the year, and as well as there being many events up and down the Country, it is also the Notting Hill Carnival. This is the largest street festival in Europe, which started in 1964, for Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their cultures and tradition.

The Notting Hill Carnival is an amazing and vibrant event, with people dressing up in extravagant costumes or wearing rainbow pop wigs and neon multi-colour flower headbands, and dancing to an array of sounds.

The Notting Hill Carnival has grown since it first started in 1964, with its spectacle floats, which features calypso, mas and pan bands, as well as many sound systems for dancing. There is a large party atmosphere of music, movement and masquerade as well as Caribbean food stalls, which serve up traditional food, jerk chicken and fried plantain.

Ordinarily, the more family friendly Sunday is the best day to bring children to the Carnival, with the main parade being on the Bank Holiday Monday, This runs approximately 3.5 miles long, with steel bands playing to over 50,000 participants.

LONDON PARALYMPICS 2012

LONDON 2012 

 PARALYMPICS

It is nearly the end of the London 2012 Olympics, with the closing ceremony on Sunday 12th August.

Great Britain have been very successful, currently 3rd on the Gold Medal Board, just behind China and the USA.  This paramount success has brought about a surge of ticket sales for the London 2012 Paralympics.

The Paralympic Games are a major sport event which run in parallel with the Olympic Games, where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness and cerebral palsy participate.

Did you attend the 2012 Olympics, if so let us know. Were you there waving your Union Jack waving flags, what was it like?  Or are you attending the London 2012 Paralympics; do you have your Union Jack cone hats and Union Jack flag rattle ready to celebrate this wonderful event.  We at Party Tracker have a wide selection of Olympic accessories, perfect for supporting Team GB.

London Olympics 2012

LONDON    OLYMPICS    2012

To all blogger followers, we at Party Tracker would love to hear how your Jubilee celebrations went!
How did you celebrate our wonderful Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee?
Did you attend any of the hosted events, and were you lucky enough to go to the concert, in the crowds cheering with your Union Jack waving flags?
There were also a lot of street parties, with people of all generations with their British Union Jack paper cups, toasting the Queen's 60 Years as our Monarch on this wonderful historic event.

We at Party Tracker are just recovering, it has been such an exciting time, and we now have the 2012 London Olympics to look forward to.  On the 27th July 2012, it will be the opening ceremony of the much awaited and anticipated Olympics, this will be followed by the 2012 Paralympic Games which begins the 29th August 2012 

London has hosted the Olympic games twice before in in 1908 and 1948.  There is expected to be 205 nations taking part in the 300 events at the Olympics and 147 in the Paralympic  Games.

Have you any plans for this event, have you managed to obtain any tickets to the Games, or will you be celebating from home; having parties or barbeques.  Visit our website for all your Mozaik tableware and accessories to help your celebrations.

JULY 4TH CELEBRATIONS

JULY

4TH

CELEBRATIONS

Independence Day, or as it is known, the Fourth of July, is a holiday in the United States.  This holiday commemorates the Declaration of Independence, which declares independence from Great Britain.

The Fourth of July, is celebrated with Fireworks and  Large-Sparklers, Parades and barbecues, carnivals, fairs and picnics, also, with concerts, baseball games and family reunions, and is very much celebrated as it is classed as a national holiday.

Similar to other summer-themed events, the celebrations often take place outdoors, and because it is a federal holiday, all non essential federal institutions (like postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day.

Families often celebrate Independence Day by attending a picnic or barbecue, decorations (e.g.  Red-White-Blue-Streamers-,Red-White-Blue-PVC-Bunting, and Usa-Flying-Colours-Foil-Balloon- are used a lot because they are the colours of the American flag.  Parades are often used in the morning, while fireworks displays are often in the evening at such places as parks, or fairground.

How will you be celebrating July 4th, we have an abundance of things to help your celebrations, from Karaoke Hire, Fancy Dress, and decorations to help your party be spectacular and one to remember.  Visit Party Tracker, and let us help you with your requirements today.

I

WIMBLEDON - 2012

W I M B L E D O N  

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Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and is considered by many to be the most prestigious.  It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877.  The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, ending with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, being scheduled to finish on the second Saturday and Sunday.

The has always been a very strict dress code for the competitors.  Also, it has a tradition at Wimbledon for the Royals and Spectators to enjoy the strawberries and cream.

Dark green and purple are the traditional Wimbledon colours,  But all tennis players in the tournament are required to wear all white clothing, this is a long-time tradition at Wimbledon.  Green clothing used to be worn by the chair umpire, linesmen, ball boys and ball girls, but since 2006 officials, ball boys and ball girls now wear nay blue and cream uniforms.

This is very traditional event, with thousands of people camping out in line to get tickets for Wimbledon.  They will be showing their support with Union-Jack-Flags on show. Are you there enjoying the atmosphere, having picnics, and have you managed to get hold of any, let us know.  At Party Tracker, we have a wide selection of Flags, Mozaik turquoise blue plastic plates, (ideal for camping out) and accessories for this wonderful sporting event.

London Olympics 27TH JULY - 12TH AUGUST 2012

2012    OLYMPICS

27TH    JULY    -    12TH AUGUST

LONDON

The Olympic Games is a major international sporting event which is held every four years in the summer and thousands of athletes participate in a variety of different sporting events. The Olympic games have come to be regarded as the world's foremost sporting competition where more than 200 nations participate.

Originally the Olympic Games were held in Olympia and during the 20th and 21st centuries there has been several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these changes included introducing the Winter Games and the Paralympics.

The Olympic symbol, better known as the Olympic rings consists of five interwinded rings and represents the unity of the inhabited continents ( America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe). The coloured version of the rings, blue, yellow, black, green and red which covers a white field, forms the Olympic flag. These colours were chosen because every nation has at least one of these colours on its national flag.

Months before the Olympic Games start, The Olympic Flame is lit in a ceremony that reflects ancient Greek rituals. The torch is lit and then given to the first relay bearer, then it is carried to the Olympic city in the country that the Olympics are being hosted. This year it is London, England and this has historically played a very important role in the opening ceremony.

The Olympic mascot, which was first introduced in 1968, is an animal or human figure representing the country where the Olympics is being held. The mascots for the 2012 London Olympics are Wenlock and mandeville. They have a metallic finish, a single large eye made out of a camera lens, a London taxi light on their heads and the Olympic rings as friendship bracelets on their wrists.

The pair are based on a short story by famous children's author Michael Morpurgo and tells how they were designed from droplets of the steel used to build the Olympic Stadium.

Wenlock is named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock and Mandeville, from the Buckinghamshire town of Stoke Mandeillve, and where the famous Stoke Mandeillve Hospital is located, and this is where the Paralympics was founded.





This is a major event for London, England, being the first time since 1948 that England have hosted the Olympics,but it is the third time the Olympic Games have been held in the UK.

At Party Tracker, in view of this historic event, we have many products to celebrate the Olympics from gold medals on a ribbon, which is ideal for party game prizes, along with Union Jack waving flags and Great Britain umbrella hats, which are ideal for any Olympic event.

Olympic Flame Torch Journey

O L Y M P I C    T O R C H    

L O N D ON    2 0 1 2

The Olympic Flame is a symbol of the Olympic Games. It commemorates the theft of fire from the Greek God Zeus by Prometheus, it originates from ancient Greece, where a fire is kept burning throughout the celebration of the games and it has been part of the Olympic Games ever since.

The Olympic Torch today is ignited several months before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games at the site of the Olympics in Olympia, Greece and eleven women who represent the Vestal Virgins perform a ceremony in which the torch is kindled by the light of the Sun.

After a short replay around Greece, the Flame is handed over to the new Host City at another ceremony in the Panathenaiko Stadium in Athens.

The Flame is then delivered to the Host Country, where it is transferred from one Torchbearer to another spreading the message of peace, unity and friendship. It then ends its journey as the last Torchbearer lights the cauldron at the Olympic Games Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium, marking the official start of the Games.

The Olympic Torch is relayed across the UK by 8,000 inspirational people,and they will carry the Olympic Flame on its journey across the UK, supported by crowds of people waving their Union Jack waving flags.

The Flame is extinguished on the final day of the Games, at the Closing Ceremony. 

Summer is on the way visit our Party Tracker site today, for all your party needs, from red,white and blue patriotic tablecovers and Mozaik tableware for all your Olympic Celebrations to our excellent Karaoke Hire for your parties.

Race for Life - Cancer Support Events

R A C E    F O R    L I F E    2 0 1 2

The Race for Life is the biggest women-only fund raising events in the UK, and all the participants all share a common goal, this is to raise money for Cancer Research and bring awareness of women's cancers.

The very first Race for Life event took place in 1994, and 680 participants in a race around Battersea Park, London. Last Year the Race for Life has had over 4.7 million women who have walked, run or jogged the different courses throughout the UK.

These days the colour Pink is associated with Women's Cancer, and women tend to dress up in a variety of accessories and costumes to mark this eventful day.

What will you be wearing on the day?

will it be a Hot-Pink-Silver-Feather-Boa or Pink-Flashing-Bunny-Ears.  

These events start from May through to July locally to where you live. At Party Tracker we support this wonderful charity and have many accessories and costumes in the colour Pink, which will be ideal for you. Will you be doing this 5 kilometre fund raising event, let us know how you got on, and GOOD LUCK!!!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Engagement

BRAD PITT AND ANGELINE JOLIE ANNOUNCE 

ENGAGEMENT 

Brad Pitt who is 48 and Angelina Jolie, 36 a Hollywood Megastar couple who have been together since 2005 have announced their engagement,

Jewelry designer Robert Procop of Beverly Hills,California had been in collaboration with Brad for about a year, designing the engagement ring. Brad put a lot of input in the design of the ring, wanting every aspect of it to be perfect. Robert Procop located a diamond of the finest quality, and it was cut to the exact size and shape of Angelina's hand.

Angelina and Brad have six children between them, including their three biological children which include twins, and three adopted children from Cambodia and Ethiopia.

Jolie is the daughter of actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand and Brad grew up in Springfield, Missouri. They have both walked up the red carpet for there Oscar's, Jolie won a Oscar for her role as a mental patient in the 1999 film "Girl, Interrupted".  And Brad for his role in the 1995 science fiction film "Twelve Monkeys."

Brangelina, as they are also known, have both been A-list movie stars for over 15 years, and have ventured into directing using a large clapperboard and producing feature films. They are both passionate about their charity work and addressing social issues around the world, as well as being devoted parents to their six children.

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee 2012

QUEEN ELIZABETH II   -   DIAMOND JUBILEE 2012

This year is one of the most exciting years as it is Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Brunton Street in Mayfair, London.

She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later become King George VI. At the time of her birth Queen Elizabeth was third in line of succession to the throne after Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, the Duke of York.

In 1930, Princess Elizabeth gained a sister, with the birth of Princess Margaret. In 1936 her grandfather, King George V died. His eldest son Edward VIII become King but before the end of that year he gave up his throne and gold crown so that that he could marry the women that he loved, the divorced Mrs Wallis Simpson.

In 1937, Elizabeth's father become King George VI, and the coronation was held in Westminster Abbey, On the 6 February 1952, whilst Elizabeth was in Kenya, she received the sad news of her father's death.

The tour had to be abandoned, and the young Elizabeth came back to Britain as Queen. She was greeted by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other officials at the airport.

The Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 22 June 1953 and it was conducted by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Coronation was attended by the Prime Ministers and leading people of the commonwealth countries and representatives of Foreign States. Crowds of people viewed the procession with Union Jack waving flags to celebrate and observe the procession. The ceremony was broadcast on the radio and for the very first time on television.

This year Queen Elizabeth has been Britain's Queen for 60 years and there are many celebrations and events to celebrate, from street parties with Union Jack pennant bunting around rows of tables to bbq's and celebrating at home. To help you celebrate this historic event, Party Tracker have a wide selection of patriotic products and Mozaik tableware available.

Celebrate St Georges Day - April 23rd 2012

ST    GEORGE'S    DAY 

APRIL    23RD    2012

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St George's Day is celebrated on April 23rd every year. St George is the patron saint of England and the anniversary of his death on April 23rd is seen as England's, national day. According to legend St George was a soldier in the Roman Army who slayed a dragon and saved a princess.


St George's Day is celebrated with paper bunting hanging outside many buildings and England car flags displayed on each side of the vehicle.  


St George was apparently born around the year 280, in Turkey. He rose through the ranks of the Roman Army to become the personal guard to the Emperor Diocletain. On April 23, 303 he was executed for being a christian and he is buried in the town of Lod in Israel.   


As legend goes St George is known for slaying a dragon. The town of Silene was guarded by a dragon and in order to get water, the people had to offer a daily human sacrifice to the dragon, this was done by lots.  


The legend say that St George was visiting Silene on the day that the princess had been selected to be sacrificed and he killed the dragon, saved the princess, and this gave the people of Silene access to the water. In thanks the whole town of Silene converted to Christianity.


The most widely recognised symbol of St George is the St George's cross. This is a red cross on a white background and it is often displayed as a flag symbolising England's National flag. 






The St George's colours are used on flags, hats and balloons, and are used for many sporting events from football matches and cricket, to celebrating many historic evens, including the 2012 Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee. 

Virgin London Marathon 2012

VIRGIN LONDON MARATHON

22ND APRIL 2012

On April 22nd 2012, it is the annual London Marathon with approximately 30,000 people running the 26.2 miles through the streets of London. The marathon goes along the South of the Thames and then the north side after crossing the river at Tower Bridge.


The runners then go from Greenwich and Blackheath to Buckingham Palace, along the way passing many famous London landmarks such as the London Eye and the Tower of London.

 

The London Marathon was originally organised in 1981, by Olympic champion Chris Brasher who had returned to Britain, after running in the New York Marathon.

Some of the runners do the London Marathon for personal achievement, but lots of people raise money for their favourite charities. In 2011 many people ran in fancy dress, which were quite outrageous and wacky, to get them noticed in the crowds wearing wigs and fancy dress accessories.

Each year millions of people watch and cheer from the streets waving their union jack flag supporting friends and family, and enjoying this historic fantastic atmosphere, while the runners are raising money for worthwhile charities. To date there has been £506m raised for charity.

Good luck to everyone participating in this wonderful event and if you are brave enough to wear fancy dress, visit our Party Tracker website for a wide, unusual and wacky costumes, flags or bunting to cheer and wave to everyone. 

Oxford Cambridge Regatta 2012

CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD REGATTA

7th April 2012

The famous rowing race between the Cambridge and Oxford Universities idea originally come from two friends, Charles Merival who was a student at Cambridge and his Harrow school friend, Charles Wordsworth (nephew of poet William Wordsworth) a student at Oxford. On 12 March 1829 Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford, thus the challenge started. On race day up to 250,000 spectators crowded the Thames river from Putney to Mortlake to watch the action. This is one of London's great Festive days, which is free.

The Cambridge Crew are called the Light Blues, because of their club colours. They also have two training grounds, Goldie Boat House, which is situated in the heart of Cambridgeshire contains a fully equipped gym and rowers work out on ergometers (indoor rowing machines). Most afternoons the Cambridge squad train on the river at Ely, where they have a Boat House.

The Oxford crew are known as the Dark Blues because of the clubs colours. OUBC's training facilities are part of the world famous Iffley Road sports centre where Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute race. Most afternoons the crew train on the water at Wallington. Traditionally this has a very carnival and party like atmosphere with many people wearing straw boater hats and having picnics by the river. There are various advantage points to watch the race, but ones to remember are: Putney Bridge, Putney Embankment, and Bishops Park (at the start). Hammersmith and Barnes (mid-course) and Chiswick Bridge (at the finish). There are also Large Screens at Bishops Park, Fulham and Furnival Gardens, and Hammersmith which means you can watch the start and finish of the race.
The regatta has a wide selection of union jack paper bunting, pearl light blue balloons and many party accessories in both Cambridge and Oxford Colours decorating the race to celebrate one of Englands great traditional boating events. This is definitely one event to mark in your dairy for next month, not to be missed.

Easter Bonnet Parade

E A S T E R     B O N N E T     P A R A D E

As most parents with children still at school will know this tends to be one of the busiest seasons, when it comes to fancy dress. There is book week, Purim and also Easter which has the very traditional Easter Bonnet Parade.

Traditionally the wearing of an Easter Bonnet represented the wearing of new clothes at Easter, especially during the Great Depression, as the purchase of a new or even refurbished Bonnet was classed as a great luxury.

Today the Easter bonnet is a type of hat that women and girls wear to Easter services and at Easter parades.   Modern Easter bonnets for children are usually white wide-brimmed hats with a pastel coloured satin ribbon around it and tied in a bow. It may also have flowers or other springtime motifs on top, but it is very popular in infant schools to ask a child to design and make an Easter bonnet to wear for an Easter parade.  

Here is a simple but very effective idea for an Easter Bunny Hat. Get one black felt bowler hat (or plastic), attach with pva glue or super glue (parents to help), rabbit ears on headband, place towards back of hat.  completely cover the whole of the hat with cotton wool balls, making sure headband (not ears) are covered, (these should stick with pva glue).  At the back of the hat, put a few cotton balls together to represent a rabbits tail.  At the front of the hat glue a black cat nose with whiskers and then with cardboard, design, colour and stick on the rabbits eyes and teeth. This is an simple but unusual Easter Bonnet, which children and parents will enjoy making.

St Patrick’s Day Party Celebrations

Many people around the world will be indulging in a drop of the black and white stuff and celebrating St Patrick’s Day this month. Of course, the largest party celebration will be in Dublin, it is forecast that more than 700,000 people are likely to show up for the annual parade which takes place in the heart of Dublin. Bars around the globe will also be packed full of happy drinkers and parades will also be held in New York, Sydney, Singapore and several other global cities.
More and more common now are organised parties, where groups plan games, festivities and dress up in Irish style and wear green plastic top hats with shamrocks or green glitter shamrock head boppers.
In Ireland, St Patrick’s Day was once a traditional religious festival which commemorated the patron saint who converted the country to Christianity.
In recent years it has become a five-day entertainment gala which contributes GBP40m to the economy.
“The parade in Dublin has really improved and is now seen as an entertainment piece, rather than something that people just marched along to, and the attendance has risen hugely,” said festival chief executive Donal Shields.
The Irish President Mary McAleese said “It is a day of celebration in Ireland and for the global Irish family throughout the world”.

St Patricks Day Decorations for Saturday 17 March

S T     P A T R I C K 'S    D A Y

Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated on the 17th March. Saint Patrick is the most recognised patron saint of Ireland and is a national holiday. It is widely celebrated in many Countries such as Great Britain, Canada, United States, Australia and New Zealand.

The day normally starts with going to church services and the wearing of green attire (especially Shamrocks). 

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue, but over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. The wearing of Green ribbons and shamrocks has been worn to celebrate St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th Century. Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock designs have become a much known feature of the day

The first Saint Patrick's Festival was held on 17 March 1996. In 1997 it became a three-day event and by 2000 it was a four-day event.

As well as Dublin, many other cities, towns, and villages in Ireland hold their own parades and festivals, including Cork, Belfast, Derry and Limerick .

The biggest celebrations outside Dublin are in Downpatrick - County Down where Saint Patrick is rumoured to be buried.

The shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs.

How will you be celebrating St Partrick's Day will you be be wearing green?
At Party Tracker we have green glitter bowler hats, 8ft paper bunting with 10 ireland flags, cheap green pop wigs and Leg Avenue clover leprechaun costumes in various sizes to help you celebrate this national holiday on Saturday 17th March this year. 

 

 

Cardiff Parade on St Davids Day

 S T     D A V I D S     D A Y

St David is the patron Saint of Wales and every year on the 1st March, there are celebrations throughout Wales in remembrance of his death.

Saint David was born near the end of the fifth century, he was the founder of a Celtic monastery located at a place known as The Vale of Roses. Saint David spent his life as a faithful monk and teacher at his monastery. His monastery is recognised by the Welsh as an important shrine in Christianity and today Saint David's Cathedral is found at The Vale of Roses.

In modern times, in the United States, March 1 is the official day of the Welsh people. The Welsh in the United States will wear a symbol of a daffodil called a leek. The leek represents how the Welsh of the past recognised each other amongst British enemies dressed in disguise.

Today, in Wales, Saint David's Day parades are held all over Wales. The largest parade and celebration is held in the city of Cardiff. A massive food festival is also held on Queen Street in Cardiff. After the parade is over, Welsh entertainers perform music and plays as people enjoy the festival.

Cardiff is not the only city to celebrate Saint David's Day with parades and feasts, but is by far the largest and most popular amongst the Welsh. The daffodil or leek, which was Saint David's personal symbol is still worn today as it was as early as the 18th century to Honor Saint David.

Celebrate St David's Day on Thursday 1 March 2012 with a Wales flag and dress your kids in a boys friendly dragon costume.