Funny Facts About St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day originally began as a religious holiday, celebrated on March 17, and commemorates the St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. However, there are many funny facts associated with St. Patrick's Day, most of which revolve around the holiday's celebration customs.

St. Patrick is British?

One of the funniest facts about St. Patrick's Day is that St. Patrick, who died in the 5th century, wasn't Irish---he was born in Britain. He was forced into slavery and shipped to Ireland, after which, he found God and performed many miracles.

No Irish Drinking?

It might be difficult, if not comical, to imagine that bars in Ireland might close on one of the biggest Irish drinking holidays. Yet, according to Sean Markey of National Geographic, "By law, pubs in Ireland were closed on St. Patrick's Day, a national religious holiday, as recently as the 1970s."

Pinch Me

Another funny aspect about the celebration of St. Patrick is the obsession with green. Funniest of all is the way we show it. While people originally wore green to illustrate the promotion of Ireland otherwise known as "The Green Isle," it has now come to symbolize that yes, a person is indeed Irish (even if his last name is Le Roy or Hoffman).

All you have to do to be Irish is wear something green. If not, people will pinch you. No one is certain how the tradition of pinching people who don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day came to be; however, it is popular among children and adults alike.

Green Beer

Green beer has become an interesting focal point for celebrations in the United States. While adding green food coloring to beer doesn't make it Irish, all things green are festive on this day.

Green River

Apparently, beer isn't the only thing Americans dye green when celebrating St. Patrick's Day. In 1962, Chicago began dying the Chicago River green, using vegetable dye. According to Heather Miller, author of "Celebrate St. Patrick's Day," "Today, an environmentally safe dye is used in amounts that keep the river festively green for about four to five hours."

This tradition, however, might discontinue soon for environmental reasons. Although there is no lasting damage done to the river, it still affects the ecosystem, even if slightly.

References

• "Celebrate St. Patrick's Day"; Heather Miller; 2006
• National Geographic Magazine: St. Patrick's Day Fast Facts: Beyond the Blarney