As we all prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, it’s important to know a bit about the rich history and traditional behind the holiday. Here we’ve compiled ten fun facts that will help to explain why and how we commemorate St. Patrick.
“St. Patrick’s Day is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Corned beef and cabbage is a staple at many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America.”
“It is believed St. Patrick, a Roman-Britain-born Christian missionary, was born in the late fourth century and is credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish people.”
“Saint Patrick’s real name is Maewyn Succat.”
“Saint Patrick is credited for driving the snakes out of Ireland, but according to the fossil record, Ireland has never been home to snakes as it was too cold to host reptiles during the Ice Age. The surrounding seas have kept snakes out since.”
“Shamrocks are the national flower/emblem of Ireland.”
“Though we’ve come to associate kelly green with the Irish and the holiday, the 5th-century saint’s official color was “Saint Patrick’s blue,” a light shade of sky blue. The color green only became associated with the big day after it was linked to the Irish independence movement in the late 18th century.”
“For many years, Dripsey in County Cork had the world’s shortest parade, just 77 feet, the distance between two pubs – The Weigh Inn and The Lee Valley. Currently, the town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, claims to have the shortest parade – a 98-foot route on Bridge Street. Recent participants included the Irish Elvis’s and the San Diego Chicken.”
“More than 100 Saint Patrick parades are held across the United States. Almost 12% of Americans claim Irish ancestry. More people of Irish ancestry live in the United States than in Ireland.”
“In 1991, Congress proclaimed March to be Irish-American Heritage Month to honor the achievements and contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants who are living in the United States today.”
“Guinness sales soar on St. Patrick’s Day. Recent figures show that 5.5 million pints of the black stuff are downed around the world every day. On St. Patrick’s Day that figure is doubled.”
Have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!
