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In the early 1600s, St. Patrick's Day became a Christian day of feast. It is recognized by the Anglican, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran churches.
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It is also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick and the ‘Day of the Festival of Patrick' (Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Irish).
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Saint Patrick used the shamrock, to teach the Irish Pagans about the Holy Trinity.
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Saint Patrick's father was a Christian priest.
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Saint Patrick taught Christianity for 30 years. He died on March 17th, 461 A.D.
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The reason for choosing March 17th as St. Patrick's Day is because that is the day he died.
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The color originally associated with St. Patrick's Day was blue. It eventually changed to green. In the 1600s people began to wear shamrocks and green ribbons on St. Patrick's Day.
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In Irish legends, immortals and fairies were often dressed in green. People also wore it to encourage the growth of their crops.
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In 1798, Irish soldiers wore green uniforms on March 17th to make a political statement.
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St. Patrick's Day celebrations often include attending church, parades, festivals, and wearing shamrocks or green clothing.
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St. Patrick's Day falls during Lent, but the restriction of drinking alcohol and eating are lifted for the day. This is believed to be the reason why drinking became such a strong St. Patrick's Day tradition.
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One legend says that Saint Patrick drove snakes out of Ireland. It is actually symbolic of converting the Pagans to Christianity.
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The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in Boston in 1737, not in Ireland.
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Rivers in Chicago have often been dyed green on St. Patrick's Day.
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Catholics often attend church in the morning, and then watch a St. Patrick's Day parade.
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Some people wear a shamrock on their lapel on St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland the children wear orange, green and white badges; some wear bunches of shamrocks on their jackets and the girls and women often wear green ribbons in their hair.
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The Irish flag is orange, white and green.
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Some people dye their hair green for St. Patrick's Day.
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Wearing green on St. Patrick's Day is supposed to stop you from being pinched.
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It's common for bars to serve green beer on St. Patrick's Day.
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Approximately 34 million Americans have Irish ancestors. Ireland only has 4.1 million people.
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Of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine had Irish origins.
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19 of the Presidents of the U.S. had Irish heritage, including George Washington.
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