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10 Facts About St Patrick’s Day You Might Not Know

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These facts about St Patrick’s day surprised me.

It is always amazing to see just how many people celebrate across the world.

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Did you know? Over 300 locations around the world are going green for St Patrick’s day in 2021. See the full list here. 

Now onto the facts about St Patrick’s day:

10 facts about St patricks day

  1. 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.
  2. It is also believed St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. However, post-glacial Ireland never actually had snakes. Many believe that the term “snakes” referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place. Today, there are no snakes to be found!
  3. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762.

  4. Since 1762, 250,000 marchers have traipsed up Fifth Avenue on foot – the parade still doesn’t allow floats, cars, or other modern trappings.
  5. According to Irish legend, St Patrick used the three-leafed plant as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he was first introducing Christianity to Ireland.
  6. According to Irish legend, Saint Patrick wasn’t originally called Patrick. His birth name was Maewyn Succat, but he changed his name to Patricius after becoming a priest.
  7. Guinness sales soar on St. Patrick’s Day. On St. Patrick’s Day, the average amount of Guinness that is consumed is doubled around the world. 
  8. Since 1962, the Chicago River is dyed kelly green during the celebration. Forty tons of dye is dumped into the river which changes colour for four to five hours.
  9. You can’t attend a Saint Patrick’s Day event without hearing a cry of “Erin go Bragh.” What’s the phrase mean? It’s a corruption of the Irish Éirinn go Brách, which means roughly “Ireland Forever.”
  10. For most of the 17th century, Saint Patrick’s Day was considered a strictly religious holiday in Ireland, which meant that the nation’s pubs were closed for business on March 17. In 1970, the day was converted to a national holiday, and the stout resumed flowing.

What other facts about St Patrick’s day do you know?

Comment below and be sure to share this article with a fellow Irish person around the world. Have a great day on March 17th!

 

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callaway

Monday 19th of March 2018

Thanks for this tool / service.

Nancy Brereton McMenaman

Friday 16th of March 2018

To my dear cousin in Tipperary ... thinking of you Bridget and miss you ... hope to get back to visit with you and those wonderful Cheese sandwiches and Tea of yours and see the ole farmhouse again where my Great Grandparents and Grandmother was born ... much love and Happy St Patrick’s Day to you ... a long distance away but close at heart ... Love Nancy Brereton McMenaman. Golden Colorado but born and raised in Syracuse Mew York. Where the GREEN IS OVER THE RED IN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN A SECTION CALLED TIPPERARY HILL...

Sean Hampsey

Tuesday 13th of March 2018

Go geasfor Le Chiele Sinn Aris, go geoinni Dea Imbois a laimhe thu. (Until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand. Up Tyrone!

Maria Brady

Monday 12th of March 2018

Happy St Patrick's Day celebrations to my Irish Brady Family in Dublin. Slainte Maria Brady Panmure Auckland New Zealand.