Catch yourself on! Enjoy these 15 Facts About St. Patrick’s Day That’ll Have You Saying “Catch yourself on!”
1. “Patrick” wasn’t St. Patrick’s original name
His full name was actually Maewyn Succat.
2. There is a chance St. Patrick himself was not even Irish
It is believed he was born in Wales, so patron saint of Ireland could have been Welsh.
3. All the pubs at one point in Ireland were closed on St. Patrick’s Day
Hard to believe huh? Since St. Patricks day is also considered amateur’s drinking day. However, in the 1970s the holiday was changed from being a religious holiday to a national holiday.
4. Every year the Chicago River is completely green on St. Patrick’s Day
Tons of green eco-friendly vegetable dye is added to the Chicago River to make it green for about 5 hours.
5. The color green had nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day
For many years St. Patrick’s Day color was actually blue. Mind-blowing…
6. The very first parade for St. Patrick’s Day was not in Ireland
New York City gets the credit having celebrated the holiday since 1762.
7. The world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade route takes about 30 seconds to walk
It’s it is in Dripsey in Cork, Ireland. The parade route is about 75 feet long between two pubs.
8. About 13 million pints of Guinness are estimated to be sold worldwide on March 17th
Pubs and Guinness do pretty well on this day.
9. The Irish Prime Minister gives the President of the United States a bowl of shamrocks every year
This tradition is 60 plus years old.
10. JFK once completely forgot about St. Patrick’s day during his presidency
Staff had to quickly find a green tie when the Irish Prime Minister went to visit Kennedy for the St. Patrick’s Day ceremony.
11. The largest shamrock in the world is in Nebraska
Why in Nebraska? Who knows…
12. St. Patrick is given credit for driving all the snakes out of Ireland…
The saint is famous for casting serpents out from the Emerald Isle.
13. but, snakes never lived in Ireland…
After the Ice Age, Ireland was too cold for snakes to live, so there weren’t any in the first place.
14. In the Caribbean, St. Patrick’s Day is also a national holiday
The Island of Montserrat officially lists St. Paddy’s Day as a national holiday since it has strong ties to the emerald isle.
15. And finally, Shamrocks are an official symbol of St. Patrick, but not of Ireland
Ireland’s official symbol or emblem is the harp!
Happy St. Patricks Day. If you enjoyed these 15 Facts About St. Patrick’s Day That’ll Have You Saying “Catch yourself on!” Check out these Too Cute to Pinch St. Patrick’s Day Outfits for Babies and Toddlers.
