Odd behavior gets green light on St. Patrick’s Day

CHICAGO -- Thousands of revelers cheered Saturday as Chicago dyed its river green in a much-beloved St. Patrick's Day ritual that serves as the formal kick-off for a day of parades and wild parties.

Cheers erupted as a motor boat sped in circles and a man on board dumped the secret dye mixture, which transformed the river into a psychedelic green in just minutes.

The city, along with others around the nation, planned a parade later in the day, and in Chicago, the guest of honor was Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. He and Mayor Rahm Emanuel appeared together at City Hall in the morning, both wearing green ties and sporting shamrocks in their lapels.

Kenny said he was honored to take part in Chicago's parade and praised the city with a large Irish population for being so open and receptive to immigrants.

"It's a real privilege for me, as leader of my country, to come to Chicago on this St. Patrick's Day 2012 and participate in the parade," Kenny said. "And that's a privilege that I shall remember for a long time."

Crowds wearing emerald green lined the river, which weaves through the metropolis' skyscrapers and connects with Lake Michigan. Some wore shamrock-shaped sunglasses. There were more than a few leprechaun lookalikes with strap-on orange beards. And many wore Mardi Gras-style beads and bling -- in green, of course.