Happy St. Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide by Irish people and increasingly by many of non-Irish descent. Celebrations are generally themed around all things green and Irish; both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish food, imbibing Irish drink, and attending parades.
In many parts of North America, Britain, and Australia, expatriate Irish, those of Irish descent, and ever-growing crowds of people with no Irish connections but who may proclaim themselves "Irish for a day" also celebrate St. Patrick's Day, usually by drinking alcoholic beverages (lager dyed green, Irish beer and stout, or Irish whiskey, Irish Cider, Irish Coffee or Baileys Irish Cream) and by wearing at least one article of green-colored clothing.
Facts
34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.
Some American towns have Irish names. You could visit: Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia; Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio.
The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as the Emerald Isle.
The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.
The name lephrechaun has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word leipreachan, which means a kind of aqueous sprite. Or, it could be from leath bhrogan, which means shoemaker.
The moon shining liquor that was outlawed in the late 1700s for its extreme potency is called Poteen and has recently been reintroduced to the market.
St. Patrick was actually of Scottish descent, not Irish, and contrary to popular folklore he never chased any snakes out of Ireland.
Green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of Spring.
The shamrock is the traditional symbol because St. Patrick used it to explain the connection between the father, the son, and the holy spirit in the Christian religion.
The city with the largest population of Americans of Irish descent is Boston (23%).
On average, every American consumes 22 gallons of beer per year.
It is considered lucky to find a four leaf clover on St. Patrick's Day.
The children and grandchildren of people born in Ireland can obtain dual citizenship with the US and Ireland.
At one time, there were more Irish living in New York City, than in Dublin, Ireland.
Corned beef is strictly an American invention, the Irish don't actually eat it to celebrate the day.
St. Patrick s isn t a big drinking holiday in Ireland. In fact, many of the local pubs are closed for the day.
Leprechauns are the official shoe makers of the fairy kingdom.
Shamrocks are the national flower of Ireland and are picked on St. Patrick's Day and worn on the shoulder.
The ancient Irish used to wear green to show their love for the harvest gods.
34.5 million U.S residents claim Irish ancestry, that is 9 times the current population of Ireland.
Over 41.5 billion pounds of beef are produced each year for St. Patrick's Day, with the majority of it coming from Texas and over 2.5 billion pounds of cabbage are produced with the majority grown in California.
Over 8 million St. Patrick's Day cards are exchanged in America making today the ninth-largest card selling occasion in the US.
Over 94 million people plan to wear green on St. Patrick's Day.
The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000 year lease.
The Oscar was handcrafted by an Irishman, Cedric Gibbons, who was born in Dublin in 1823.
Bailey's Irish Cream which was launched in Ireland in the early seventies, is now the most popular liqueur in the world.
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