What most people know about St. Patrick’s Day is that you must wear green or you will get a pinch from your friends. Also adults see an occasion to celebbrate, sometimes with green beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Every March 17, countries around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in observance of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. These are some facts you may didn’t know and other you arlready knew.
Who was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick is known as he patron saint of Ireland. Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. During his career, he traveled all over Ireland.
Saint Patrick wasn't Irish
St. Patrick wasn't born in Ireland, his parents were Roman citizens that were living in modern day England, to be precisely in Scotland or Wale, so St. Patrick was British.
Real name
His real name was probably Maewyn Succat, and Patricius was his Romanicized name. Later he got called in a familiar way as Patrick.
Patrick's color was blue.
The original color which was associated with St- Patrick was blue, not the usual green as we thought. In many artworks St. Patrick is wearing blue vestments.
Patrick died on March 17th
St. Patrick's holy day is the day of his death because as people believe this was the day of his entrance to heaven.
St. Patrick was a slave.
When he was 16, he had the misfortune of being kidnapped by Irish raiders who took him away and also sold him as a slave.
He tended sheep
He spent many years in Ireland herding sheep as a slave. He also was learning about the people there. Finally at the age of 22, he managed to escape.
Shamrocks
According to a Irish legend, the saint used the three-leafed plant as a metaphor. It was easier to explain the Holy Trinity.
Snakes out of Ireland
Saint Patrick gets credits for driving all the snakes out of Ireland.Modern scientists suggest that the job wasn't that hard because Ireland has never been home to any snakes.
Dry Holiday
Irish law, from 1903 to 1970 declared St. Patrick's Day a religious observance for the entire country meaning that all pubs had to be closed for the day.
Important Day
As we may expect, Saint Patrick's DAy is a huge celebration. It's a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
International party
Every March 17, countries around the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day in observance of the death of St. Patrick.
Rivers are dyed green
In Chicago the rivers are dyed green. It takes almost 40 tons of dye to get the colored rivers.
Saint Patrick's Day in the NY
New Yorkers celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with one of the largest parades in the world.
Drowning The Shamrock
There's is a phrase "Drowning The Shamrock", for Irish people it is a custom, means that you will have a prosperous year.
Erin go Bragh
Everytime you attend a Saint Patrick's Day without hearing a cry of Erin go Bragh and the meaning of this phrase is Ireland Forever.
More Irish in the USA than in Ireland
There are around 34 million Americans who have Irish ancestry. On the other hand, there are only 4.2 million people living in Ireland.
On an average day
5.5 million pints of Guinness are consumed around the world on an average day, but that number doubles on St. Patrick's day, with more than 13 million pints.
Religious holiday
Pubs in Ireland had to be closed on St. Patrick's Day because it was considered as a religious holiday.
