This is one of those days I usually write about every year — and, there’s only so much you can say about a particular day/holiday… so I’ll probably repeat what I’ve written in past years, but the good thing about getting older is that I don’t remember what I wrote a year ago. Here we go — let’s talk about St. Patrick and his day….
I know it’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when all the pubs in Ireland were closed on Saint Patrick’s Day — by law. That unfortunate circumstance can be blamed on James O’Mara, the same politician that introduced the Bank Holiday Act in Ireland in 1903 — that made St. Patrick’s Day a national holiday in Ireland. The closings were originally meant as a mark of religious respect, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that revelers could (legally) raise a glass to Saint Patrick.
It turns out that Saint Patrick’s Day parades are about as Irish as Saint Patrick himself (not at all.)
The first Saint patrick’s Day parade allegedly took place in New Your City — not Ireland.
Saint Patrick’s Day is of course celebrated in countries across the world — but it’s also celebrated in low-Earth orbit, in the International Space Station.
The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737.
Shamrocks are the national flower/emblem of Ireland.
Legend says that each leaf of a four-leaf clover has a meaning — Hope, Faith, Love and Luck.
Chicago has a tradition of dying their river green for St. Patrick’s Day — that tradition started in 1962.
There are 34.7 million U.S. residents that at least claim Irish ancestry. That number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.
The odds of you finding a four-leaf clover is about 1 in 10,000.
The world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in an Irish village. The route is only 100 yards — between the village’s two pubs.
St. Patrick never got canonized by a pope, making his saintly status a bit questionable.
And of course I guess it’s my duty to clear up all the confusion about whether the day is referred to as “Patty’s Day” or “”Paddy’s Day.” As far as I can tell, a lot (most?) people in the U.S. call it Pattie’s Day. A word of advice — never do that in Ireland — it’s Paddy’s Day! The Irish have very strong opinions about this…..
They say everyone’s Irish, or wish they were today, and being Irish is lucky enough. But if you’re not taking any chances by carrying a four-leaf clover, don’t iron it — you don’t want to press your luck.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
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