Crowds, the color green, and copious amounts of Guinness—that’s St. Patrick’s Day. Seven facts about the annual March 17 holiday.
The most important things at a glance
1. What is celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day?
Traditionally, the Irish celebrate their national saint and patron saint, St. Patrick, on March 17th. He was involved in spreading the Christian faith in Ireland in the 5th century. March 17th is the anniversary of the death of the Holy Priest.
Although March 17th is an official holiday in only a few countries, Irish emigrants have long since spread their customs around the world. Celebrations and pageants for St. Patrick’s Day are mainly found in the USA and Great Britain. The most impressive parade in Germany moves through Munich every year.
2. Why is everyone wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day?
On St. Patrick’s Day, the already “green island” of Ireland becomes even greener. In honor of St. Patrick, houses and streets are decorated in the national colors of green, white and orange.
Monuments and even rivers also shine in green. And many people wear a shamrock, the symbol of Ireland called the shamrock, on their clothing or face. Because: Patrick supposedly explained the Holy Trinity with the three-leaf clover – and clover leaves are green.
3. Saint Patrick wasn’t always holy
According to historical myth, St. Patrick was a slave. In addition, he is said not even to have been Irish. He is said to have been kidnapped from England when he was a teenager and then taken to Ireland. There, according to tradition, he spent six years as a slave on the evergreen island and had to do menial work.
In the end he was able to escape and became a priest. From then on he spread the messages of the Lord. The parade on St. Patrick’s Day is intended to be a welcome celebration for the returnees.
4. St. Patrick was creative
Saint Patrick wittily tried to proselytize the Irish: He combined Irish cultures with the Christian faith, for example by introducing that in Ireland Easter is celebrated with a fire – fire was used in Ireland to honor the gods.
5. Guinness flows en masse
A typical Irish dish, which of course is also eaten on St. Patrick’s Day, is corned beef (cured beef) and cabbage (cabbage). Incidentally, this also goes very well with Irish beer – which flows in abundance on St. Patrick’s Day.
While an average of just under six million pints (half a liter) of Guinness is normally sold on a normal day, consumption of Irish beer on St. Patrick’s Day rises to almost 13 million pints on average.
6. No alcohol without a dog show
From 1927 to 1961, Irish law banned the serving of alcoholic beverages on the holy holiday. But since there is always a loophole for such regulations, the Irish also found one: the “Royal Dublin Dog Show”. It was the only event where drinking was legal in public that day.
7. Tradition in America too
Irish emigrants also brought the tradition of St. Patrick’s Day to America. The first celebrations for “Paddy’s Day” are said to have taken place as early as 1737 in Boston, which was still under British rule at the time. The first “green parade” on American soil was held in New York in 1766.
One of the longest parades in the world has also been taking place in New York for years. Every year, up to 250,000 revelers in green costumes and decorated vehicles march down Fifth Avenue. Chicago has also been infected with the green fever: Here, residents have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day since 1962 by coloring the famous Chicago River green.
