Some Fun Facts About Saint Patrick’s Day!

Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day! Here are some fun facts about today that might surprise you! 

1. Did you know St. Patrick wasn’t Irish! He was born in Britain and given the name Magonus Seccetus. 
2. At the age of 16, Patrick was captured by Irish raiders from his home in Cumbria, Britain, and taken back to Ireland as a slave.
3. For 6 years Patrick was held captive until he escaped and returned to his family in Cumbria where he joined the Catholic Church and changed his name to Patrick.   
4. At the age of 33 Patrick traveled back to Ireland a free man saying he had visions urging him to return.
5. He returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary and dedicated his entire life to converting the Irish to Christianity.
6. After his death, Patrick became the patron saint of Ireland despite his British heritage.
7. Saint Patrick’s day is celebrated on March 17th, the day of Saint Patrick’s death.
8. The shamrock was used by St. Patrick to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (the Father, Sun and Holy Spirit).
9. From 1903 to1970 all pubs in Ireland were closed and drinking was banned due to the religious holiday.
10. Green was not the original color associated with the holiday. The original color was actually blue. When the Order of St. Patrick society was founded in 1783 they adopted blue as their color, which led to blue being associated with St. Patrick. It is said the color changed to green because of Irelands nickname “the Emerald Isle” and because green is Irelands national color. 
11. In 1737 the first St. Patrick’s Day celebration was held in America in Boston MA.
12. New York City held the first St. Patty’s Day parade in 1766 and is now the biggest in the world. Dublin started hosting a parade of their own 1931.
13. Today there are over 100 St. Patty’s Day parades across the United States.
14. 40lbs. of dye is used to turn the Chicago River green on March 17th in celebration of the holiday.
15. The expression “drowning the shamrock” comes from an old tradition in which a shamrock worn on the lapel for St. Patrick's Day was tossed in the last drink of the evening.

Sources:

Giraffe Infographic 

ABC News 

www.hellokids.com