Ten Fun Facts About St Patrick’s Day

more than a year ago

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday celebrated by millions of people around the world, regardless of their Irish heritage. From parades to pub crawls, green beer to shamrock shakes, there's no shortage of ways to celebrate this festive occasion.

Here’s ten fun facts about St Paddy’s Day:

1. According to the Irish government, approximately 70 million people around the world claim to be of Irish heritage. For an island population of only 6 million, that’s mighty high!

2. St. Patrick wasn't Irish - although St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, he was actually born in Britain circa 386 A.D. He was captured and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was 16 years old.

3. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City in 1762 and was organised by Irish soldiers serving in the British army.

4. Green wasn't always the colour of St. Patrick's Day, blue was the original colour associated with St. Patrick. Green became more popular over time, perhaps due to the Emerald Isle’s lush green landscape.

5. The Shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day. Legend has it that St. Patrick used a shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity.

6. Since 1962, the Chicago River has been dyed green for St. Patrick's Day. The dyeing process involves a secret recipe and is environmentally friendly.

7. St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration - St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

8. Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day meal in the United States. Although it is not commonly eaten in Ireland, corned beef and cabbage is a popular St. Patrick's Day meal in the United States.

9. St. Patrick's Day is one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year. It is estimated that Americans will spend over $5 billion on St. Patrick's Day celebrations in 2023.

10. The New York City St. Patrick's Day parade is the largest and longest-running St. Patrick's Day parade in the world. In 2022, over 150,000 participants and 2 million spectators enjoyed the event.

Wherever you are in the world there are many ways to enjoy the craic and celebrate St Patrick’s Day - watch a parade, wear an oversized hat, eat cabbage and corned beef, search for a four-leafed clover, or drink a Guinness or a green beer and say 'sláinte'.

For our local readers, here’s our Top 5 Pubs in Ljubljana for St Patrick's Day.