Top 10 Facts About St. Patrick's Day

Have you ever had green butter on your toast? It's an annual tradition at my parent's house; green butter, green milk and green eggs. St. Patrick's Day celebrations have spread worldwide, beyond the confines of my home, as have the traditions and stories. So while you're cooking up the corned beef and cabbage or picking which pub will have the best green beer, here are some things we bet you didn't know about St. Patrick's Day:

1. The Chicago River is dyed green each year to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as is the main canal in Indianapolis. But the fun doesn't stop there, Savannah dyes its downtown fountains green and a university in Missouri paints the 12 city blocks of its parade route green.


2. Up until 1970 pubs in Ireland were required to be closed on March 17.


3. St. Patrick's Day was originally a church holiday, but over the years has emphasized drinking alcohol more and more. Some say this is because the Roman festival of Bacchanalia, celebrated for the Roman god of wine, was celebrated on March 15 and 16.


4. The first St. Patrick's Day parade in the United States was March 17, 1737 in Boston.


5. St. Patrick was a native of Wales but was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland. After 6 years he escaped and went home ... then went back to Ireland as a missionary.


6. No snakes existed in post-glacial Ireland, so St. Patrick couldn't have banished them.


7. The Shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has come to symbolize Ireland. However, it originally became popular after the story that Saint Patrick used the shamrock to teach the people of Ireland about the Trinity.


8. Originally blue was the color associated with St. Patrick's Day. Some think the green started in the 18^th century when the wearing of the green symbolized sympathy with Irish independence.


9. In Ireland St. Patrick's Day is the national holiday and celebrations last for 5 days.


10. U2 and YouTube are both out of Ireland (that really has nothing to do with St. Patrick's day, but we love everything Irish today so it works).

To help with your Paddy's day celebrations, we have a list of the best St. Patrick's Day party gear. Any one of these gadgets is sure to make this year's St. Patrick's Day one to remember. While you're waiting for the time to pass until you can be done with work and on to whichever pub you may be celebrating at tonight, check out these other Irish-loving (sort of) blog posts:

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