7 VA Cities Rank Among Nation's Best To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

VIRGINIA — With St. Patrick's Day rapidly approaching Sunday, seven Virginia cities could be added to your itinerary as they were named among the best places to celebrate the popular Irish holiday.

Personal-finance website WalletHub released Wednesday its Best Cities to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day, with Virginia Beach peaking at No. 26 among the top 50.

The cities on the best list were scored out of 100 points based on their rankings in the following categories: St. Patrick's Day traditions, St. Patrick's Day weather, safety and accessibility and costs.

“St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the Irish, but it’s become a beloved cultural holiday for millions of Americans regardless of their ancestry," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a news release. "The best cities for St. Patrick’s Day combine rich traditions with tasty and affordable food, safe conditions to celebrate and good weather. Celebrating in one of these cities will increase your chances of having a memorable holiday, as long as you don’t overdo it.”

See how Virginia cities fared on the top 200 list:

• Virginia Beach, rank No. 26, total score of 56.24
• Alexandria, No. 47, total score of 54.02
• Hampton, No. 74, total score of 50.32
• Arlington, No. 82, total score of 49.7
• Chesapeake, No. 83, total score of 49.52
• Newport News, No. 92, total score of 48.82
• Norfolk, No. 128, total score of 44.78

St. Patrick's Day is traditionally observed on March 17 in recognition of the missionary Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland who was born in Great Britain.

Those who celebrate the Irish holiday usually paint the town green, a color that "originated as a symbol of rebellious Irish nationalism," the History Channel said. A myth states that people who wear green become invisible to leprechauns while anyone caught not wearing green may be subject to the leprechaun's pinch.

Though modern-day St. Augustine, Florida, was home to the earliest recorded St. Patrick's parade in 1601, New York's parade is deemed the oldest and largest as it travels along over a mile up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

>> See WalletHub's full report here.