There are many myths out there about St. Patrick. Veuer’s Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) debunks two of the most common myths.
What do the color green, parades and March 17th have in common? Of course, it is St.Patrick’s Day (also known as the Feast of St Patrick).
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by millions of people across the globe. People wear the color green, drink green beverages and decorate houses and businesses in shamrocks. In fact, the wearing of the green is a tradition that dates back to a story written about St. Patrick in 1726. St. Patrick (c. AD 385–461) was known to use the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity and to have worn green clothing.
HISTORY
The Feast of St. Patrick started in the early 17 century. The day marks the death of St. Patrick and was chosen as an official Christian feast day and is observed by the Catholic Church. The day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.
- In 2010, the average Irish person aged 15+ drank 11.9 litres of pure alcohol, according to provisional data. That’s the equivalent of about 44 bottles of vodka, 470 pints or 124 bottles of wine.
- There is a famous Irish dessert known as Drisheen, a surprisingly delicious black pudding.
- Traditional dishes include Irish stew, coddle, and Irish breakfast.
- The leprechaun, famous to Ireland, is said to grant wishes to those who can catch them.
- The first fish and chips was served in Dublin in the 1880’s by Italian immigrants.
- St. Patrick is well known for being the patron saint of Ireland and having a day named for him that most of the world uses as an excuse to get incredibly drunk. However, St. Patrick, despite popular belief, was not actually Irish.
- St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in North America since the late 18th century.
- One of the shortest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the world lasts only 100 yards, from one pub to another, and is held in Dripsey, County Cork, Ireland.
