Although St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday, it is celebrated around the world! But today’s festivities are dramatically different from what the Irish holiday once used to be. Here are some fun facts to get you in celebration mood:
1. St. Patrick’s real name wasn’t even Patrick! His birth name was Maewyn Succat, but Ireland’s patron saint changed it to Patricius.
2. The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration was actually in Boston in 1737.
3. St. Patrick isn’t even Irish! He was born in Britain and his parents were Roman citizens.
4. Every year over 20 pounds of green dye is poured in the Chicago River for this big day!
5. Believe it or not, St. Patrick’s Day was a dry holiday in Ireland. Now the activity most associated with St. Patrick’s Day is drinking.
6. There are more Irish in the USA than in Ireland! About 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry.
7. New York City celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a huge parade, making it one of the world’s largest parades.
8. On St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, people traditionally wear a bunch of small shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges.
9. Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.
10. The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000.