11 facts you didn't know about St. Patrick's Day
Surprisingly St Patrick wasn't born in Ireland and he wasn't called Patrick!
St. Patrick's Day marks the death of the patron saint for Ireland and is celebrated all over the world, but who is he and why celebrate?
Here are some fun facts that you probably didn't know about St Patrick's Day, or the man himself.
1. That's not my name!
St. Patrick wasn’t originally called Patrick. His birth name was Maewyn Succat, but he changed his name to Patricius after becoming a priest.
2. St. Patrick wasn't from Ireland
St. Patrick was actually born in Britain at the end of the 4th century AD. Until recently it was believed he was taken to Ireland as a slaver when he was a teenager. However, a recent study by a professor at the University of Cambridge says that he is more likely to have been a slave trader than a slave.
3. St. Patrick banished snakes - or so the legend goes
St. Patrick is said to have banished the snakes from Ireland, however many believe that snakes never lived in Ireland because the climate isn't warm enough for the cold-blooded reptiles.
4. Chicago dyes its river green
In 1961 an American business manager received permission to turn the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day. Originally 45kg of vegetable dye was used, dying the river for a whole week! These days only 11kg of dye is used and it lasts just a few hours.
5. The first St. Patrick's Day parade wasn't in Ireland
The first recorded St. Patrick's Day Parade was in Boston in 1737, followed by a parade in New York in 1762, it wasn't until 1931 that Ireland held their first parade in Dublin. The photo below is from New York in 1938, unfortunately our archives don't go back to 1737!
6. There are more Irish in the US than in Ireland
While there are 4.6 million people living in Ireland there are approximately 34.7 million Irish-Americans living in the United States!
7. Chances of finding a four-leaf clover: 1 in 10,000
It's very unlikely you'll find a four-leaf clover, however against all the odds Suzi Mekhitarian from Australia found more that 250 four-leaf clovers in her garden in 2014! She picked and laminated some of them giving them to friends as a good luck gift.
8. Traditionally St. Patrick's Day was a dry holiday
The celebration which is now known for its booze was a booze free day until 1970. Before 1970 Irish law stated that St. Patrick's Day was a religious day so all the pubs were closed.
9. Guinness facts you didn't know
A third of all pints sold in Ireland are Guinness and every day 10 million glasses of Guinness are enjoyed around the world. This incredible number rises to 13 million on St. Patrick's Day.
10. There's a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as leprechauns
On St. Patrick's Day in 2012 1,263 people gathered in Bandon Town, Ireland, dressed as leprechauns. The town now holds the Guinness World Record for the most people dressed as leprechauns.
11. The shortest St. Patrick's Day parade was apparently VERY short
While there are a number of reports stating that the shortest ever St. Patrick's Day parade was only 23 metres, we can't confirm this claim. It is said to have been held between 1999 and 2007 in a small Irish village called Dripsey - it ran between the two pubs in the village, but ended after one of the pubs closed down.