With Cillian Murphy becoming the first Irish-born winner of the Best Actor Academy Award, 2024 is going to be a great year for St Paddy’s Day celebrations.
If you’re not yet excited to paint yourself green on 17 March, here are some great facts about this Irish celebration that might get your shamrocks shaking!
1. St Patrick wasn’t Irish
Just because you’re not Irish, doesn’t mean you can’t share in the joy – not even St Paddy himself was born in Ireland!
The Patron Saint of Ireland was born in Britain in the 4th century but was kidnapped at 16 by Irish raiders and sold to a Celtic priest in Northern Ireland.
He did escape back to Britain but returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary.
2. No snakes to banish
If you’re not a fan of snakes, head to Ireland where you won’t find a slithering serpent anywhere.
And that’s not because St Paddy banished them – although that’s the legend – but more likely because there were no snakes to begin with.
The region has no snakes in the fossil record and was covered in ice before that – too cold for reptiles.
3. The holy shamrock
When you think of Irish symbols, no doubt the three-leaf clover comes to mind.
The reason for this is that the clover – or shamrock as it’s known – was considered sacred in that it symbolised the start of spring.
St Patrick also used the shamrock as a visual guide for explaining the Holy Trinity.
4. The green fairies
Those mischievous little red-haired, green-clothed fellas that run around causing nonsense are synonymous with St Paddy’s Day.
Leprechauns most probably originated from the Celtic belief in fairies that could use magical powers for good or evil.
5. The American influence
The Irish have been celebrating St Paddy’s Day since the 1600s, but in true American style, the first parade was actually in Florida in the USA in 1601.
More than a century later, the homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston and New York City, starting a long-held tradition.
6. A dry holiday
When you think of St Paddy’s Day, you undoubtedly think of the colour green and alcohol – and of green alcohol!
Strangely enough it was initially a dry day, with pubs in Ireland restricted from opening on this day between 1903 and 1970.
However, when the government realised the financial implications, they changed the laws and pubs are now open.
Whether or not you want to drink, whether or not you’re Irish, whether or not you believe in fairies, the point is you can celebrate St Paddy’s Day whichever way you want!
SOURCES:
https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts
https://www.contiki.com/six-two/article/st-patricks-day-facts/
https://greenlight.com/learning-center/fun-facts/st-patricks-day-facts
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