Fun Facts and Trivia about St. Patrick’sDay

Thought you knew everything about St. Patrick’s Day?  Think again!  Here are some interesting and mind-blowing facts about this “green” celebration and its history.

• Saint Patrick’s given name was actually Maewyn Succat (Magonus Succetus in Latin.)
• The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737.  However, the first St. Paddy parade was in New York City in the 1760s.
• Each American who revels on March 17 will spend a little over $36 to celebrate.
• There are apparently no female leprechauns, only male leprechauns.
• Alas, St. Patrick was from Wales.  In other words, he wasn’t Irish.
• Because green was originally considered an “unlucky” color, blue was associated with St. Patrick’s Day.  It’s not known when the changeover to green happened.
• On St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, the Plumbers Local 110 union workers dye the Chicago River green.
• Sales of Guinness reach incredible levels on March 17.
• St. Patrick’s Day is considered a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• Roughly translated, the phrase “Erin go Bragh” means “Ireland Forever.”
• More than 100 cities in the United States have St. Patrick’s Day parades every year.  This includes Harrisburg and York!
• President Truman was the first known president to attend a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
• There are almost 35 million people across the nation with Irish heritage.
• Seven locations in the U.S. have been named for the Shamrock.
• Irish soda bread uses baking soda as its leavening agent, rather than yeast.

Sources:  ABC News, Irish Central, Mental Floss, Discovery Channel, History Channel