St. Patrick's Day is one of the most fun holidays celebrated around the world. Traditionally celebrated every year during March 17, it's a day to remember St. Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland.
To commemorate this special day, people wear green clothing, eats green food, and Irish-themed parties seem to blossom out everywhere. But did you know that aside from these facts, there are other things you don't know about St. Patty's Day? Here are some facts that will blow your mind:
St. Patrick's Day celebrations originated in America. Traditionally, St. Patrick's Day is supposed to be a modest Christian holiday in Ireland, and the famous parades and Irish parties enjoyed today exist because of America's influence. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in Boston on March 18, 1737, and Ireland didn't follow until the first parade in Dublin in 1931.
St. Patrick's original color is blue, not green. It's true! Several paintings and artworks that depict St. Patty show him wearing blue all the time, not green. It was only a couple of years later when the color of green became associated with him, probably because of Ireland's reputation as the "Emerald Isle."
Alcohol used to be banned on St. Patrick's Day. It's hard to believe that drinking wasn't allowed during St. Patty's day before, since these days, the Irish celebration is often marred with binge-drinking and loud parties. This is because it used to be a really conservative Christian holiday in Ireland, and drinking during this time is heavily frowned upon.
About two and a half Olympic-sized pools of Guinness will be drunk on the day. Guinness is the unofficial drink on St. Patrick's Day, and with the worldwide worth of revelers, over 13 million pints are estimated to be drunk. Almost everyone is sure to be passed out drunk by the end of the day, as it is one of the most famous drinking holidays in America.
St. Patrick was not Irish. Ireland's patron saint doesn't even share their Irish genes! That's because St. Patrick was originally born in Britain, and he was only taken to Ireland because he was kidnapped when he was 16. Although he did manage to escape later on, he went back to Ireland to introduce Christianity to the country, which made him the saint he is today.
