From stories about leprechauns to parades, pub crawls and green everything the centuries-old holiday, celebrated annually on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day continues to gain popularity across the world. Here are some facts about this day which may surprise you:
The holiday is named after St. Patrick, a Patron Saint of Ireland, who despite contrary belief was not born in Ireland but is said to be a Roman citizen in Britain who was enslaved at the age of 16 and sold to a Celtic priest in an area now known as Northern Ireland.
The holiday began in 1631 when the Catholic Church held a Feast Day to honour St. Patrick. Over the years, it was imported to the United States thanks to Irish immigrants and evolved into a celebration of their culture in America and across the world.
The shamrock has been associated with Ireland for centuries now; the legend has it that St. Patrick used the three-leafed clover to teach Christianity. However, historians have dismissed the story as fictional since the plant itself does not exist.
The tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade not only began in America but is older than the US we know today. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was reportedly held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony which is located in the modern day state of Florida.
Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day has long been associated with the colour green; its origins can be traced back to the Great Irish Rebellion of 1641 where local Catholic leaders used a green flag to revolt against the English crown. Green was also worn during the 1789 Irish Rebellion. Prior to the revolutions Ireland was reportedly associated with the colour blue.
The red-haired, green-clothed, creature living at the end of a rainbow with a pot of gold is the modern day idea of the fictitious being whose oldest mention can be traced back to a mediaeval story. Leprechauns continue to be one of the most enduring symbols associated with Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day.
Every year Chicago temporarily dyes its river green by using environmentally friendly dye ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. The tradition began in 1962 when Plumbers Local Union dyed the river green for a week. The dye which was once used to identify the source of sewage in the river became one of the most iconic St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US.