if you want to celebrate Irish holiday of St. Patrick’s Day and participate in the festivities but don’t know much about the holiday, these fun facts can give you a better understanding.
Did you know that St. Patrick’s Day marks the death of St. Patrick, who was not Irish?
You may also wonder why we wear green on that day, since St. Patrick often wore blue – or why the day is called “St. Patrick’s Day.”
scheduled tribe. Patrick’s Day Quiz! How well do you know the facts about the festive holiday?
And why has this day become a holiday of heavy drinking when it used to be a dry, religious holiday?
Read on to learn unique facts about St. Patrick’s Day.
While St. Patrick’s Day used to be more of a religious holiday, it is now a day filled with parades, drinking, and celebrating Irish heritage. (Matthew Hinton/AFP via Getty Images)
- St. Patrick’s Day used to be a religious festival
- st patrick was actually from britain
- St. Patrick’s birth name was Maevin Sucutt
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States, not Ireland
- St. Patrick’s Most Honored Color Was Blue, Not Green
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Introduced in the United States
- St. Patrick’s Day used to be a dry holiday
1. St. Patrick’s Day used to be a religious festival
While the day still holds religious ties, it has become more about Irish pride and heritage than religion.
scheduled tribe. Patrick’s Day: The History Behind the Holiday in the United States
According to The Daily Meal, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations date back to the 9th or 10th century. celebrated the day Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. March 17 is known as the day of his death.
Since St. Patrick was a Christian who brought the religion to Ireland, the day was a religious celebration.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the day St. Patrick died. (Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
2. St. Patrick was actually from Britain
Did you know that St. Patrick was not from Ireland? According to The Daily Meal, the story of St. Patrick is that he was born in the fourth century and was enslaved as a teenager. He was deported from Britain to Ireland, but escaped.
The easiest recipe for Slow-Cooker Irish Soda Bread St. Patrick’s Day
He later returned to Ireland as a missionary to bring Christianity to the native people.
3. St. Patrick’s birth name was Maven Sukkat
Although many details of his life are not known, according to Biography.com, his birth name was Maevin Sukkat. According to Time magazine, he later changed his name to Patricius or Patrick when he became a priest.
4. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States
Ireland was not the first country to hold St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was actually held in the United States.
According to History.com, records show that the first parade took place in 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida.
One of the oldest running St. Patrick’s Day parades takes place in New York City. (Slav Vlasic / Getty Images)
From 1762 the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade became a huge celebration in America.
5. St. Patrick’s most revered color was blue, not green
Green is now the color of St. Patrick’s Day, but St. Patrick himself wore blue. According to Smithsonian Magazine, early representations of St. Patrick show him dressed in blue. If St. Patrick’s official color was blue, why is green associated with the day?
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There are a few different theories as to why green became the color of St. Patrick’s Day.
The first theory stems from Irish folklore, which says that wearing green makes you invisible to lepers who like to pinch, according to National Geographic. Green color is worn to avoid stinging.
Another reason why green is displayed around the world on St. Patrick’s Day is the green in the Irish flag, according to USA Today. It is also said that St. Patrick used green shamrocks to teach about the Holy Trinity, according to Reader’s Digest.
6. Corned Beef and Cabbage Introduced in the United States
traditional Beef and Cabbage The meal served on St. Patrick’s Day originated in America, not Ireland.
Corned Beef and Cabbage was first served in the United States and remains a St. Patrick’s Day staple. (Ricardo DeRatanha/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Corned beef was eaten by Irish immigrants upon their arrival in the United States. According to Delish, it was a cheaper alternative to bacon.
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Cabbage, like corned beef, was an inexpensive vegetable option for Irish immigrants.
7. St. Patrick’s Day Was Once a Dry Holiday
St. Patrick’s Day today is one of the most popular drinking day of the year, but this was not always the case.
This was due to the religious origins of the day, according to Good Housekeeping. As it was a religious holiday, the pubs were closed.
It wasn’t until the late 1970s that changed.