HARTFORD — What once started as a religious celebration to honor the patron Saint Patrick of Ireland has has now turned into a spending holiday filled with parades, special meals, and more.
Retailers are looking to cash in on the luck of the Irish this weekend. The National Retail Federation says St. Patrick’s Day spending will hit a new record at $5.3 billion.
Economists say individuals will spend around $38 dollars a person on things like food, decorations, and apparel.
The holiday is most popular among millennials, according to the NRF, with 77 percent saying they would be celebrating.
According to Wallethub, St. Patrick’s Day is not the number one holiday for alcohol sales. It comes in fourth behind New Years Eve, Christmas, and 4th of July. Thirteen million pints of Guinness will be consumed worldwide on St. Patrick’s Day.
