People dressed in green, shamrocks everywhere, and joyous celebration — St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Atlanta have begun! What started as a religious observance has evolved into a variety of festivals all over the world with parades, food, music and dancing.

The local St. Patrick’s Day parade occurs Saturday, March 11, and is presented by the Irish Network Atlanta.

Caoimhe Ní Chonchúir, the Consulate General of Ireland, and Geraldine Higgins, professor of Irish Studies at Emory University, joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk about the holiday.