St. Patrick's Day is usually filled with lively Irish music, festive parades, and delicious food.
Even if you participate in the St. Patrick's Day fun, there are many surprising facts you may not know about the occasion.
On St. Patrick's Day, you'll see people wearing green, but did you know that St. Patrick often wore blue? Another Patty's Day staple is corned beef and cabbage, which don't come from Ireland.
STREET. PATRICK'S DAY: THE DISTURBING HISTORY OF GREEN BEER AND WHAT WAS FIRST USED TO GIVE IT A GRASSY COLOR
He was born right here in the United States.
Read on to learn more fun facts about St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick's Day is one of the busiest drinking days of the year. (Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)
- St. Patrick's Day used to be a religious holiday.
- Saint Patrick was from Great Britain
- Saint Patrick's birth name was Maewyn Succat.
- The first St. Patrick's Day parade was in the United States, not Ireland
- Saint Patrick's most revered color was blue, not green
- Corned beef and cabbage began in the United States.
- St. Patrick's Day Used to Be a Dry Holiday
- There were no snakes to banish.
1. St. Patrick's Day used to be a religious holiday.
While the day still has religious ties, it has become more about Irish pride and heritage than religion.
The celebration of St. Patrick's Day dates back to the 9th or 10th century, according to History.com. The day was celebrated Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
March 17 marks what was known to be the day of his death.
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Since Saint Patrick was a Christian who brought religion to Ireland, the day was a religious celebration.
2. Saint Patrick was actually from Great Britain.
Did you know that Saint Patrick was not from Ireland? The story of Saint Patrick, according to History.com, is that he lived in the 5th century and was enslaved as a teenager. They took him from Britain to Ireland, but he escaped.
He later returned to Ireland as a missionary to bring Christianity to the natives.
3. Saint Patrick's birth name was Maewyn Succat.
Although many of the details of her life are unknown, according to Biography.com, her birth name was Maewyn Succat.
He later changed his name to Patricius or Patrick when he became a priest, according to Time magazine.
4. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was in the United States.
Ireland was not the first country to hold a St. Patrick's Day parade. In fact, it took place in the United States.
Records reveal that the first parade took place in what is now St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601, according to History.com.
The Chicago River turns green for St. Patrick's Day. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City became a major celebration in the US starting in 1762.
5. St. Patrick's most revered color was blue, not green.
Green is now the color of St. Patrick's Day, but St. Patrick wore blue. Early depictions of St. Patrick show him wearing blue clothing, according to Smithsonian Magazine. If the official color of St. Patrick's Day was blue, why is green the color associated with the day?
There are a few different theories.
The first theory is related to Irish folklore, which says that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns who like to pinch, according to National Geographic. To avoid being pinched, green is used.
Another reason green is shown around the world on St. Patrick's Day is because of the green of the Irish flag.
6. Corned beef and cabbage started in the United States.
The traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage served on St. Patrick's Day began in the United States, not Ireland.
CANNED BEEF AND CABBAGE IN ST. PATRICK'S DAY MAY OFFER SOME NUTRITIOUS BENEFITS
Irish immigrants ate corned beef when they came to the United States.
A more traditional food eaten in Ireland is bacon and cabbage or a beef stew.
Corned beef and cabbage are favorites for St. Patrick's Day. (iStock)
7. St. Patrick's Day was once a dry holiday
St. Patrick's Day today is one of the most popular drinking days of the year, but it wasn't always that way.
This was due to the religious origins of the time, according to Good Housekeeping. As it was a religious holiday, the pubs were closed.
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It wasn't until the late 1970s that it changed.
8. There were no snakes to banish.
Legend has it that St. Patrick himself banished all snakes from Ireland, according to History.com.
Science does not entirely support that story, as there were no signs of snakes in the country's fossil record, according to the source.
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Before Ireland was surrounded by water, it was covered in ice, according to History.com, and that icy atmosphere would have been too cold for slithering snakes.
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