Fun Facts About St. Patrick's Day
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Jonathon Andrews
Jonathon Andrews
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- St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17th which is the anniversary of his death in the 5th century.
- Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to the people of Ireland after he escaped slavery.
- The Irish believed the shamrock (three leaf clover) was a sacred plant which symbolized that spring was coming.
- The first reported celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in America actually happened before the American Revolution. In a Spanish colony, where St. Augustine Florida is located now, the first parade occurred.
- Leprechauns are most likely based off of Celtic fairies. Leprechaun translates to “lobaircin” in Irish and this means “small-bodied fellow”. According to Celtic folklore, they were cranky and responsible for fixing the shoes of other fairies.
- Its St. Paddy’s Day, not St. Patty’s Day. Paddy is an abbreviation for Patrick, which is derived from Pádraig. And Patty is an abbreviation for Patricia.
- Each year Chicago pours pounds of vegetable dye into their river dying it green for several hours. It used to be enough dye for one week, but in order to minimize environmental harm it was greatly reduced.
- Ever wonder why we wear green on St. Paddy’s Day? It’s a tradition which was popularized by Irish immigrants, they believed if you wear green you are invisible to leprechauns and wouldn’t get pinched.
Interested in more facts about St. Patrick’s Day? Check out my sources below!
History.com Editors. (2009, October 27). History of st. patrick's day. History.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day
History.com Editors. (2020, March 16). 7 surprising facts about St. Patrick's day. History.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts
Updated February 01, 2021. (2020, March 7). 5 ways to wear green for St. Patrick's day this year. Better Homes & Gardens. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.bhg.com/holidays/st-patricks-day/traditions/how-to-wear-green-for-st-patricks-day
