St. Patricks Day is a time for celebration, and most people have heard of the famous Irish holiday. But there are still some secrets about this beloved day that many people aren’t aware of. Here are the top 15 secrets about St. Patricks Day:
1. The holiday was originally celebrated on April 6th, not March 17th. It wasn’t until the 1700s when Ireland switched to celebrating it on the 17th of March in honor of St Patrick’s death date.
2. Many people think St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland; however, there were never any serpents in Ireland to begin with! The “snakes” mentioned in Irish mythology were actually symbolic of pagans being driven out by Christianity.
3. The traditional color of St Patricks Day is actually blue! Green has been the color associated with the holiday since the 19th century, but before then, blue was the preferred hue.
4. In Chicago, they dye their river green every year as part of their St Patrick’s Day celebration. This tradition began in 1962 and hundreds of people go to watch this event each year!
5. Leprechauns are a popular figure on St Patrick’s Day – but not all Irish consider them real figures! They’re believed to have been created by writers and storytellers during the 18th century as an effort to explain mysterious happenings in Ireland at that time.
6. It wasn’t until the 1970s that St Patrick’s Day became a recognized holiday in Ireland! It had been celebrated for centuries before, but was not officially marked on calendars until then.
7. The first St Patrick’s Day parade did not take place in Ireland – it happened in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737!
8. Corned beef and cabbage is one of the most popular dishes to eat on this day – even though it has nothing to do with traditional Irish cuisine! This dish came about when Irish immigrants living in America could no longer afford bacon and so began substituting corned beef instead.
9. There are more people celebrating St Patricks Day outside of Ireland than there are inside! About 33.3 million Americans have some Irish ancestry, meaning that many of them celebrate the holiday on March 17th each year.
10. Guinness (the famous Irish beer) reportedly sells 13% more on St Patrick’s Day than it does the day before or after!
11. The shamrock is a popular symbol of St Patricks Day – but did you know that there are actually 4-leafed clovers out there too? It’s said to be incredibly rare to find one with four leaves and they bring luck to whoever finds them!
12. New York City hosts the world’s largest St Patrick’s Day parade every year since 1762, when it was first held in honor of Irish soldiers who served in the Revolutionary War.
13. One popular superstition says that you have to wear something green on St Patrick’s Day or risk being pinched by a leprechaun!
14. A special type of dance known as ‘the jig’ is traditionally performed during St Patricks Day celebrations. This traditional Irish folk dance dates back to the 16th century and has become synonymous with the holiday.
15. The St Patricks Day season runs from February 15th till April 30th, so there’s plenty of time for celebrating – even after March 17th! There are many ways to enjoy this holiday and all its secrets, so make sure you plan ahead and have some fun!
That’s it for the top 15 secrets about St Patricks Day! Whether you decide to wear green, take part in a parade, or just enjoy some Irish beer with dinner – make sure to include a little something extra this year and celebrate the luck of the Irish!
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