With Saint Patrick's Day right around the corner, learn some new and informative facts about the holiday commemorating Irish legacy and culture.
#1: Saint Patrick wasn't Irish
Patrick was actually born in Britain to a Romanized family. He was kidnapped later on by Irish pirates and was brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped back to England but always felt the need to return to Ireland.
#2: Pubs used to be closed on Saint Patrick’s Day
By law, a long time ago dating back to 1970, pubs were closed in Ireland to observe this holiday. It was made into a national holiday in Ireland as a show of religious respect. In the 1970s, the law to not drink was repealed and people were allowed to celebrate at pubs on St. Patrick's Day.
#3: St. Patrick Actually Wore Blue
In the first years during this holiday, individuals were taught to wear green. This was to commemorate St. Patrick's use of the shamrock in his religious teachings. In reality, according to Smithsonian Magazine, blue became the color of preference when Henry VIII, King of England, proclaimed himself the King of Ireland in the 16th century. To honor the announcement, he assembled a coat of arms for Ireland that utilized the color blue.
Photo Courtesy of Akura Yochi /Shutterstock
#4: Every year the Chicago River is dyed green
A tradition starting in 1962 using 100 pounds of dye, the Chicago River is dyed green. This occurs one week before St. Patrick's Day to celebrate during the annual parade. It takes about 45 minutes for the dye to actually set in and the only year this tradition was skipped was in 2020 due to Covid-19.
#5: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in America
Individuals in Ireland had been celebrating the holiday since the 1600s but, the first parade was actually held in St. Augustine, Florida on March 17, 1601. After this, there was a dramatic increase of Irish immigrants to the United States in the mid-19th century. The parades started to become widespread around the U.S.
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