Top ten weird and wonderful facts about St. Patrick’s Day and the patron saint

The relics, celebrations and the saint himself - the inside scoop on facts you might not know

Larger Text

Print

E-mail

20 Comments

Artist's impression of Saint Patrick to go with some weird and crazy facts about the Irish national holiday

Photo by Google Images

Tweet

1. The Irish can’t claim credit for the invention of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

The world’s first recorded Saint Patrick's Day Parade took place in Boston on 18 March 1737 followed by the New York Parade, which first took place in 1762.

Ireland took over a century to jump on the parade float with the rest of the world and only had their first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin in 1931.

2. This St. Patrick’s Day we’ll all be wearing green, but shouldn’t it be blue??

The original color associated with St. Patrick was blue but because the Saint preached about the Holy Trinity through the symbol of the shamrock and the Irish ‘little folk’ were also associated with green, it became the most common shade in connection with him.

Parade committee organizers across the world wouldn’t take too kindly to us changing the colour now, so maybe we’ll leave it at green.

3. 100 lbs. of green dye was poured into the Chicago River in honor of St. Patrick’s Day

In 1961, business manager of Chicago’s Journeymen Plumbers Local Union, Stephen Bailey, received permission to turn the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day.

Due to uncertainties about the amount of dye it would take to turn the river green, a massive 100 lbs of vegetable dye was used in comparison to the 25 lbs used today.

The Chicago River stayed green for a full week.

4. Saint Patrick banished the Snakes from Ireland

… and not a snake in sight. Patrick is said to have banished the snakes from Ireland but in fact, Ireland never had any snakes as the weather was too miserable for the cold-blooded reptiles.

The banished snakes were thought to be symbolic of the pagan druid priests with whom Patrick might have had a few issues to iron out.

5. George Washington ordered that “St. Patrick” be the response to the password “Boston” on Evacuation Day

On Evacuation Day, March 17 1776, the General Orders issued by Washington were that those wishing to pass through Continental lines should give the password “Boston,” to which the reply should be “St. Patrick”.

6. The resting place of Saint Patrick

Though never fully proven, Down Cathedral in the town of Downpatrick, Ireland, is thought to contain St. Patrick’s remains and, according to legend, he lies beside Saints Columcille and Brigit.

Apparently he’s missing a few things like a jaw and a tooth but these can be seen in Dublin Museum.

7. Saint Patrick’s Relics

A few of the Saint’s relics can still be viewed in Ireland today: St. Patrick’s Bell and shrines of the Saint’s jaw and tooth can be viewed in Dublin National Museum while Patrick’s four gospels are held at the The Royal Irish Academy.

Saint Patrick’s Crozier, with which he banished the imaginary snakes, was venerated for centuries in Dublins Christ Church only to be publically burned in 1538 under the orders of the archbishop, George Browne.

Print

E-mail

Tweet