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Every year on March 17th, people all around the world enjoy St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish feast holiday that celebrates Christianity coming to Ireland. There are parades, dancing, and fiddle music. People partake in drinking Irish beer and whiskey, while wearing green and shamrocks. Here are 10 more curious facts about the fun day. |
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1. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in Boston, organized by 27 Irish immigrants in 1737. |
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2. Americans added the wearing green and pinching traditions, originating from leprechaun folklore. Legend has it that these sneaky small fairy creatures can’t see anyone wearing green and like to pinch people. The tradition became to pinch those not wearing green to remind them about the trick-loving leprechauns. |
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3. Until the 1970s, all the pubs and bars in Ireland were closed on St. Patrick’s Day because it was considered a religious holiday. 4. The St. Patrick Day’s parade in Dublin sees 500,000 attendants and is more than a mile-and-a-half long. Over 4,500 barriers dot the city to direct crowds of people and the parade. 5. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and the Caribbean island of Montserrat, home to many Irish descendants. Unofficially the day is celebrated all around the world. It’s even been celebrated in space. |
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6. Being drunk on the day is an old tradition. A report in the New York Times, all the way back from 1860, mentions how the New York parade had a “great many persons, very much intoxicated”. 7. St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to Irish pagans. Surprisingly, it is not the official symbol of Ireland, the harp is. |
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8. St. Patrick wasn’t named Patrick, nor was he Irish. His real name was Maewyn Succat, and he was born to Roman parents living in the UK. He spent his teen years being a shepherd before turning to church life. 9. In Chicago they dye the river bright green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The idea was thought up by a plumber named Steve Bailey. |
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| 10. Corned beef and cabbage is a popular dish associated with St. Patrick's Day in North America. It’s an Irish-American variation of the beloved Irish dish of bacon and cabbage. |
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