Bloggin' Blarney

Most people know Saint Patty's Day as a good excuse to go to the bar after work and chug a few pints. Few people, however, truly know its origins and the history behind it. In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day as well as my Irish heritage, I've compiled a few interesting facts about the holiday, it's history, it's traditions, and St. Patrick himself.

• St. Patrick is actually not typically associated with the color green. In fact, a shade of (typically) dark blue, St. Patrick's Blue, is more commonly associated with him and with Ireland in general.
• Furthermore, "wearing of the green" originally referred to the wearing of a shamrock on your clothes to show your patriotism to Ireland or association with Catholicism.
• Protestants, in defiance of the Catholics, would wear orange on St. Patrick's Day, in reference to William III of Orange, who defeated King James II, a Roman Catholic, outside of Dublin.
• The shamrock, which typically has 3 leaves, is symbolic of the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost).
• The snake is also associated with St. Patrick, as part of his legend is the banishing of snakes from Ireland, symbolizing the victory of Christianity over the pagan beliefs.
• St. Patrick was actually not Irish; he was sold into slavery at age 16 after being stolen from his home in Wales and returned to his home about 6 years later, coming to Ireland as a missionary for the Catholic church.
• Savannah, GA claims to have the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the United States, with over 750,000 attending the 2006 parade. It's also held on the day of St. Patrick's Day regardless of when it falls, unlike many others held
• Every year, the Chicago River is died green in celebration of the holiday. The green vegetable dye used for the first time was enough to keep it green for a whole week!

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/