This coming Thursday everybody will be Irish.  Here's some fun facts about St. Patrick's Day.

 

Getty Images Sport / Billy Strickland
Getty Images Sport / Billy Strickland
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St. Patrick was a missionary and bishop in Ireland during the fifth century.

St. Patrick's favorite color was not green, but blue.  The color green became a symbol of St. Patrick's Day after it was linked to the Irish independence movement in the late 1700's.

There are NO female Leprechauns!!

This is a bit shocking.  The first St. Patrick's Day Parade did not occur in Dublin until 1931.

St. Patrick's day became a national holiday in Ireland in 1903.

In the "Windy City" it takes 40 tons of dye to turn the Chicago river green on St. Patrick's Day.

The word "Shamrock"  translated from Gaelic means young clover.

St. Patrick's given name at birth was Maewyn Succat.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th because St. Patrick died on March 17th 461AD.

Erin go Bragh translates to "Ireland forever."

About 110 million people will celebrate by wearing green, eating an Irish type meal, green bagels, and drinking green beer.

On the subject of beer.  Approximately 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on Thursday.

About 34 million Americans are of Irish ancestry.

And, there's no corn in that corned beef.  Large grains of salt that is used to cure meats were also known as "corns."

Have a great and safe St. Patrick's Day!

 

 

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