No beer?!
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Believe it or not, it used to be a dry holiday. For most of the 20th century, St. Patrick’s Day was considered a strictly religious holiday in Ireland, which meant that the nation’s pubs were closed for business.
We love a parade!
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC is one of the world’s largest. Since 1762, marchers have traipsed up Fifth Avenue on foot – the parade still doesn’t allow floats, cars, or other vehicles.
Chicago—A Green River Runs Through It. Chicagoans have been putting dye into the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day since 1962. It takes 40 tons of dye to get the river to the right shade of green.
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Fun Facts!
Sa i n t Pat r i c k , pat r o n s a i n t o f I r e l and , was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped and returned to convert the Irish to Christianity. By the time of his death on March 17, 461, he had established churches, schools, and monasteries. Ireland came to celebrate St. Patrick with religious services and feasts, and it was the emigrants, particularly in the United States, who transformed the day into a largely secular holiday of revelry and celebration of all things Irish. Here are a few more shamrocks of wisdom you might not know:
Good news for brewers and pubs. It is estimated that the total amount spent on beer for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations is nearly $300 million—and that’s before tips!
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
According to Irish legend, the saint used the three-leafed shamrock as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he first introduced Christianity to Ireland.
So I stumbled next door to the bar.
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The Irish village of Dripsey proudly claims that it is home to the “Shortest Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the World.” The route is 26 yards between two pubs.
For more information on St. Patrick’s Day and other historical facts, visit www.britanica.com.
