1. St. Patrick was not Irish, he was from Wales ???????
This is an unusual fact that many people don’t realize. St. Patrick is not Irish, he is actually Welsh. He served as a missionary in Ireland, but later fled back to England.
2. The shamrock symbol is a teaching tool
St. Patrick was said to have used it to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. ☘
3. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City in 1760s
Regardless of it being a holiday based for Irish people, the parade started out in New York for the first time. How come? Many Irish emigrated to NY back in the 1760’s and this parade featured Irish soldiers serving in the English army.
4. Traditionally, the Irish leader hands a crystal bowl full of shamrocks to the US President.
This was news to me! Every year, the Irish leader makes a visit to the White House to present a crystal bowl full of shamrocks to the current president. https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0313/1203815-st-patricks-day/
5. Irish people take St. Patrick’s Day pretty seriously
I don’t think you needed to read this blog to find this one out! But yes, it’s true – it’s a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland on 17th March and it’s certainly a marked day on all of our calendars. The green, the Guinness, and the parade all contribute to a great day – of course this year the parades are cancelled – so we need to use our favourite video streaming site to see a past event!
6. It used to be a dry holiday.
Now you are pulling my leg?!?! Based on its religious associations it was considered an alcohol-free holiday for most of the 20th Century. In 1970, the drinking traditions started…..sure like they waited till 1970!
7. St. Patrick was originally associated with the colour blue?
Seriously…..“No way!”
In fact, it’s true, Saint Patrick’s blue was originally associated with Ireland being under British rule. Since the Irish Rebellion in 1798, the tradition of green has stood for our nationalism.
8. 12% of Americans claim to have Irish heritage ?? + ??
It’s always around this time of year that Irish-Americans come out from the wood work. Around 4.5 million Irish people emigrated to the US between 1840-1930 during and just after the Famine. So there’s a lot of people claiming partial Irish identity through their ancestors!
9. Corned beef and cabbage is a St. Patrick’s Day staple in the US
In honor of their culture, the initial Irish immigrants in the U.S. splurged on flavorful corned beef, which was accompanied by potato and the cheapest vegetable, cabbage. It didn’t take long for corned beef and cabbage to become associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe you should give it a try this year!
10. It’s Paddy’s Day, NOT Patty’s Day?
I can hear the groans already……it’s known as Paddy’s Day or Saint Patrick’s Day around the world, but in the U.S. it’s Patty’s Day. Obviously, Irish people are pretty strong on this point, so much so that they’ve dedicated a website to explaining it here. http://paddynotpatty.com/
Jock Paddy Rugby Club 