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class="page-header page-header--has-image"><div class="page-header__wrapper"><nav class="page-breadcrumbs" aria-label="You are here:"><ol class="page-breadcrumbs__list"><li class="page-breadcrumbs__item"><a href="/">Home</a></li><li class="page-breadcrumbs__item"><a href="/topics">Topics</a></li><li class="page-breadcrumbs__item"><a href="/topics/st-patricks-day">St. Patrick’s Day</a></li><li class="page-breadcrumbs__item" aria-current="page">9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick’s Day</li></ol></nav><script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.history.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Topics","item":"https://www.history.com/topics"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"St. Patrick’s Day","item":"https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick’s Day"}]}</script><div class="page-header__content"><div class="page-header__content-container"><h1 class="page-header__title">9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick’s Day</h1><div class="page-header__summary">Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?</div></div></div><div class="page-header__post-info"><div class="page-header__post-info-container"><div class="page-header__author-date"><p class="page-header__author"><span aria-hidden="true">By: </span><a aria-label="Read more articles from History.com Editors" link-name="History.com Editors" href="/author/history">History.com Editors</a></p><p>Published: <time dateTime="2024-03-07T21:16:48">March 7, 2024</time></p></div><div class="page-header__sharing hide-print"><button class="button is-style-standalone is-style-standalone--dark-background has-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24"><path d="M16 1H4C2.9 1 2 1.9 2 3V17H4V3H16V1ZM19 5H8C6.9 5 6 5.9 6 7V21C6 22.1 6.9 23 8 23H19C20.1 23 21 22.1 21 21V7C21 5.9 20.1 5 19 5ZM19 21H8V7H19V21Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg>copy page link</button><button class="button has-icon button--print page-header__print-button has-dark-background-with-outline" type="button" aria-label="Print this page"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" title="Print" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24"><path d="M19 7.5H5C3.34 7.5 2 8.84 2 10.5V16.5H6V20.5H18V16.5H22V10.5C22 8.84 20.66 7.5 19 7.5ZM16 18.5H8V13.5H16V18.5ZM19 11.5C18.45 11.5 18 11.05 18 10.5C18 9.95 18.45 9.5 19 9.5C19.55 9.5 20 9.95 20 10.5C20 11.05 19.55 11.5 19 11.5ZM18 2.5H6V6.5H18V2.5Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg><span class="button__desktop-text">Print Page</span></button></div></div></div></div><figure class="page-header__figure hide-print"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0"><img alt="Surprising Facts about St. Patrick's Day" sizes="100vw" srcSet="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=640&height=426.66666666666663&crop=640%3A426.66666666666663%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 640w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=750&height=500&crop=750%3A500%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 750w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=828&height=552&crop=828%3A552%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 828w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=1080&height=540&crop=1080%3A540%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 1080w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=1248&height=624&crop=1248%3A624%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 1248w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=1920&height=960&crop=1920%3A960%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 1920w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=2048&height=1024&crop=2048%3A1024%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=3840&height=1920&crop=3840%3A1920%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 3840w" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=3840&height=1920&crop=3840%3A1920%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover"/></span><figcaption class="image-credit"><span>Anna Usova/Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure></header><div class="article-content-box"><div class="article-content content"><p>While St. Patrick’s Day is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they're not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebrations were held in the 17th century on March 17, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century. Learn more about the holiday’s history and how it evolved into the event it is today. </p><h2 id="1-the-real-st-patrick-was-born-in-britain">1. The Real St. Patrick Was Born in Britain</h2><div class="wp-block wp-block-history-video"><div class="continues-video-player"><div class="video-player" tabindex="-1"><button class="video-player__close" aria-label="Close and pause the video" type="button"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12 19 6.41z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></button><div class="video-player-decoy" style="background-image:url(https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/173/History_History_of_St_Patricks_Day_SF_re1_HD.jpg)"><div class="video-player-decoy__title-wrapper"><div class="video-player-decoy__title" aria-hidden="true">The History of St. Patrick's Day</div></div><button type="button" class="video-player-decoy__play" aria-label="Play The History of St. Patrick's Day"><span class="video-player-decoy__play-icon"></span></button></div></div></div></div><p>Much of what is known about St. Patrick's life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in the area now known as Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. </p><h2 id="2-st-patrick-was-never-canonized">2. <strong>St. Patrick Was Never Canonized</strong></h2><p>Despite his status as a patron saint, <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick">St. Patrick</a> was never actually canonized by the Church during his lifetime. This was primarily because such a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/24/papal-saints-once-a-given-now-extremely-rare/#:~:text=In%20993%2C%20St.,and%20documented%20potential%20saints'%20lives">process</a> did not exist when he died in A.D. 461. It wasn’t until 993 that St. Ulrich of Augsburg became the first saint to be formally canonized, and it was not until the 12th century that the Church established an official canonization process overseen by the Pope. While St. Patrick has not been formally canonized, many consider him to hold saintly status.</p><div class="block-story-grid"><div class="card-grid is-style-3-col"><div class="card-grid__container"><article class="card-grid-item"><a aria-label="History of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" class="card-grid-item__link" link-name="" href="/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day-parades-around-the-world"><figure class="card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit is-fallback"><div class="card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain" aria-hidden="true"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0"><img alt="" aria-hidden="true" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="card-grid-item__image image-fit__image" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover"/><noscript><img alt="" aria-hidden="true" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover" class="card-grid-item__image image-fit__image" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/history-article-default.desktop.jpg"/></noscript></span></div></figure></a><div class="card-grid-item__contain"><a class="card-grid-item__title-link" link-name="History of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World - New York City and the First St. Patrick’s Day Parade One of the earliest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homeland’s saint, a 5th century Christian missionary who died on March 17, 461, according to some claims. In the […]" href="/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day-parades-around-the-world"><h2 class="card-grid-item__title">History of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World</h2><p class="card-grid-item__excerpt">New York City and the First St. Patrick’s Day Parade One of the earliest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homeland’s saint, a 5th century Christian missionary who died on March 17, 461, according to some claims. In the […]</p><div class="card-grid-item__cta"><span class="button is-style-standalone has-icon">Read more<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" width="18" height="18" class="card-grid-item__cta-icon"><path d="M17.0297 4.72031L23.7797 11.4703C23.925 11.6156 24 11.8078 24 11.9578C24 12.1078 23.9268 12.3416 23.7803 12.488L17.0303 19.238C16.7373 19.5309 16.2624 19.5309 15.9699 19.238C15.6774 18.945 15.677 18.4702 15.9699 18.1777L21.4403 12.7073H0.75C0.335438 12.7073 0 12.3719 0 11.9995C0 11.585 0.335438 11.2495 0.75 11.2495H21.4406L15.9703 5.77921C15.6773 5.48625 15.6773 5.0114 15.9703 4.7189C16.2633 4.4264 16.7391 4.42687 17.0297 4.72031Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></span></div></a></div></article><article class="card-grid-item"><a aria-label="Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland?" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" class="card-grid-item__link" link-name="" href="/news/is-st-patricks-day-celebrated-in-ireland"><figure class="card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit is-fallback"><div class="card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain" aria-hidden="true"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0"><img alt="" aria-hidden="true" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="card-grid-item__image image-fit__image" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover"/><noscript><img alt="" aria-hidden="true" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover" class="card-grid-item__image image-fit__image" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/history-article-default.desktop.jpg"/></noscript></span></div></figure></a><div class="card-grid-item__contain"><a class="card-grid-item__title-link" link-name="Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland? - The holiday was traditionally a more solemn occasion on the Emerald Isle—until Americans got involved." href="/news/is-st-patricks-day-celebrated-in-ireland"><h2 class="card-grid-item__title">Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland?</h2><p class="card-grid-item__excerpt">The holiday was traditionally a more solemn occasion on the Emerald Isle—until Americans got involved.</p><div class="card-grid-item__cta"><span class="button is-style-standalone has-icon">Read more<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" width="18" height="18" class="card-grid-item__cta-icon"><path d="M17.0297 4.72031L23.7797 11.4703C23.925 11.6156 24 11.8078 24 11.9578C24 12.1078 23.9268 12.3416 23.7803 12.488L17.0303 19.238C16.7373 19.5309 16.2624 19.5309 15.9699 19.238C15.6774 18.945 15.677 18.4702 15.9699 18.1777L21.4403 12.7073H0.75C0.335438 12.7073 0 12.3719 0 11.9995C0 11.585 0.335438 11.2495 0.75 11.2495H21.4406L15.9703 5.77921C15.6773 5.48625 15.6773 5.0114 15.9703 4.7189C16.2633 4.4264 16.7391 4.42687 17.0297 4.72031Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></span></div></a></div></article><article class="card-grid-item"><a aria-label="St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" class="card-grid-item__link" link-name="" href="/news/st-patricks-day-myths-debunked"><figure class="card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit is-fallback"><div class="card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain" aria-hidden="true"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0"><img alt="" aria-hidden="true" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="card-grid-item__image image-fit__image" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover"/><noscript><img alt="" aria-hidden="true" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover" class="card-grid-item__image image-fit__image" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/history-article-default.desktop.jpg"/></noscript></span></div></figure></a><div class="card-grid-item__contain"><a class="card-grid-item__title-link" link-name="St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked - Before you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, get your facts straight by exploring common misconceptions about the holiday." href="/news/st-patricks-day-myths-debunked"><h2 class="card-grid-item__title">St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked</h2><p class="card-grid-item__excerpt">Before you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, get your facts straight by exploring common misconceptions about the holiday.</p><div class="card-grid-item__cta"><span class="button is-style-standalone has-icon">Read more<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" width="18" height="18" class="card-grid-item__cta-icon"><path d="M17.0297 4.72031L23.7797 11.4703C23.925 11.6156 24 11.8078 24 11.9578C24 12.1078 23.9268 12.3416 23.7803 12.488L17.0303 19.238C16.7373 19.5309 16.2624 19.5309 15.9699 19.238C15.6774 18.945 15.677 18.4702 15.9699 18.1777L21.4403 12.7073H0.75C0.335438 12.7073 0 12.3719 0 11.9995C0 11.585 0.335438 11.2495 0.75 11.2495H21.4406L15.9703 5.77921C15.6773 5.48625 15.6773 5.0114 15.9703 4.7189C16.2633 4.4264 16.7391 4.42687 17.0297 4.72031Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></span></div></a></div></article></div></div></div><h2 id="2-there-were-no-snakes-around-for-st-patrick-to-banish-from-ireland">3. There Were No Snakes Around for St. Patrick to Banish from Ireland</h2><p>Among the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland—prompting all serpents to slither away into the sea. Snakes, as a Biblical reference, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article-abstract/80/1/275/1011075">generally connote evil</a>. But, if the legend is to be taken literally, research suggests snakes in fact never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place. There are no signs of snakes in the country’s fossil record. And water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacial period. Before that, the region was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles. </p><h2 id="3-leprechauns-are-likely-based-on-celtic-fairies">4. Leprechauns Are Likely Based on Celtic Fairies</h2><div class="wp-block wp-block-history-video"><div class="continues-video-player"><div class="video-player" tabindex="-1"><button class="video-player__close" aria-label="Close and pause the video" type="button"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12 19 6.41z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></button><div class="video-player-decoy" style="background-image:url(https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/177/History_St_Patricks_Day_Leprechauns_SF_re1_HD.jpg)"><div class="video-player-decoy__title-wrapper"><div class="video-player-decoy__title" aria-hidden="true">Are Leprechauns Real?</div></div><button type="button" class="video-player-decoy__play" aria-label="Play Are Leprechauns Real?"><span class="video-player-decoy__play-icon"></span></button></div></div></div></div><p>The red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies.</p><h2 id="4-the-shamrock-was-considered-a-sacred-plant">5. The Shamrock Was Considered a Sacred Plant</h2><div class="wp-block wp-block-history-video"><div class="continues-video-player"><div class="video-player" tabindex="-1"><button class="video-player__close" aria-label="Close and pause the video" type="button"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12 19 6.41z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></button><div class="video-player-decoy" style="background-image:url(https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/143/History_St_Patricks_Day_Shamrocks_SF_re1_HD.jpg)"><div class="video-player-decoy__title-wrapper"><div class="video-player-decoy__title" aria-hidden="true">Are Shamrocks Really Lucky?</div></div><button type="button" class="video-player-decoy__play" aria-label="Play Are Shamrocks Really Lucky?"><span class="video-player-decoy__play-icon"></span></button></div></div></div></div><p>The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.</p><h2 id="6-irelands-only-female-patron-saint-brigid-has-her-own-holiday">6. <strong>Ireland’s Only Female Patron Saint, Brigid, Has Her Own Holiday</strong></h2><p>One of Ireland’s three <a href="https://www.discoveringireland.com/irelands-saints/">patron saints</a>, alongside St. Patrick and St. Columcille, St. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle. Believed to have been born in Ireland sometime around A.D. 450, Brigid was the daughter of a pagan king and an enslaved woman. She grew up to serve the church by building a church in Kildare, which was the site of a <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc#brigid-the-goddess">former shrine</a> to the Celtic goddess, eponymous to her.</p><p>Said to have died in A.D. 524, Brigid's memory was kept alive by the church, which canonized her as St. Brigid. In 2023, Ireland <a href="https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/St-Brigids-Day#:~:text=Brigid%27s%20Day%20%2D%20L%C3%A1%20Fh%C3%A9ile%20Br%C3%ADde,year%20for%20our%20rural%20ancestors%3F">designated</a> February 1 a permanent public holiday in Brigid’s honor.</p><h2 id="5-the-first-st-patrick-s-day-parade-was-held-in-america">7. The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was Held in America</h2><p>While people in Ireland had celebrated St. Patrick since the 1600s, the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America and actually predates the founding of the United States. </p><p>Records <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/17/the-incredible-story-of-americas-first-st-patricks-day-celebration/">show</a> that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony's Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 17. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. In 2020 and 2021, parades throughout the country, including in New York City and Boston, were canceled or postponed for the first time in decades due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. They returned in 2022. </p><h2 id="6-the-irish-were-once-scorned-in-america">8. The Irish Were Once Scorned in America</h2><div class="wp-block wp-block-history-video"><div class="continues-video-player"><div class="video-player" tabindex="-1"><button class="video-player__close" aria-label="Close and pause the video" type="button"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12 19 6.41z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></button><div class="video-player-decoy" style="background-image:url(https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/777/203/BRANDHD2398_THC_HOSF_220428_SFM_000_2398_15_20180925_00_HD.jpg)"><div class="video-player-decoy__title-wrapper"><div class="video-player-decoy__title" aria-hidden="true">Why America Loves/Hated the Irish</div></div><button type="button" class="video-player-decoy__play" aria-label="Play Why America Loves/Hated the Irish"><span class="video-player-decoy__play-icon"></span></button></div></div></div></div><p>While Irish Americans are now proud to showcase their heritage, the Irish were not always celebrated by fellow Americans. Beginning in 1845, a <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine">devastating potato blight</a> caused widespread hunger throughout Ireland. While approximately 1 million perished, another 2 million abandoned their land in the largest-single population movement of the 19th century. Most of the exiles—nearly a quarter of the Irish nation—came to the shores of the United States. Once they arrived, the Irish refugees were looked down upon as disease-ridden, unskilled and a drain on welfare budgets. </p><h2 id="7-corned-beef-and-cabbage-was-an-american-innovation">9. Corned Beef and Cabbage Was an American Innovation</h2><p>The meal that became a St. Patrick’s Day staple across the country—corned beef and cabbage—was an American innovation. While ham and cabbage were eaten in Ireland, corned beef offered a cheaper substitute for impoverished immigrants. Irish Americans living in the <a href="https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants">slums of lower Manhattan</a> in the late 19th century and early 20th purchased leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in <a href="https://www.history.com/tag/china">China</a>. 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Day","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image/jpeg","media_details":{"file":"2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"width":"150","height":"150","crop":"1","source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=150\u0026height=150\u0026crop=1:1","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"medium":{"width":"300","height":137,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=300\u0026height=137","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"medium_large":{"width":"768","height":"0","crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=768","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"large":{"width":"1024","height":466,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=1024\u0026height=466","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"1536x1536":{"width":1536,"height":699,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=1536\u0026height=699","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"2048x2048":{"width":2048,"height":931,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=2048\u0026height=931","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"corpnews_large":{"width":1250,"height":625,"crop":true,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=1250\u0026height=625\u0026crop=2:1","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"corpnews_medium":{"width":800,"height":400,"crop":true,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=800\u0026height=400\u0026crop=2:1","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"corpnews_small":{"width":500,"height":250,"crop":true,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=500\u0026height=250\u0026crop=2:1","file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"},"full":{"file":"st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","width":2200,"height":1000,"mime_type":"image/jpeg","source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"}},"width":2200,"height":1000,"filesize":494383},"post":30225,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg"}},"post":{"id":30225,"date":"2024-03-07T16:16:48","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T21:16:48","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2024-03-07T16:16:48","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T21:16:48","slug":"st-patricks-day-facts","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","title":{"rendered":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile St. Patrick’s Day is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they\u0026#8217;re not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebrations were held in the 17th century on March 17, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century. Learn more about the holiday’s history and how it evolved into the event it is today. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-the-real-st-patrick-was-born-in-britain\"\u003e1. The Real St. Patrick Was Born in Britain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eMuch of what is known about St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in the area now known as Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"\u003e2. \u003cstrong\u003eSt. Patrick Was Never Canonized\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite his status as a patron saint, \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick\"\u003eSt. Patrick\u003c/a\u003e was never actually canonized by the Church during his lifetime. This was primarily because such a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/24/papal-saints-once-a-given-now-extremely-rare/#:~:text=In%20993%2C%20St.,and%20documented%20potential%20saints'%20lives\"\u003eprocess\u003c/a\u003e did not exist when he died in A.D. 461. It wasn’t until 993 that St. Ulrich of Augsburg became the first saint to be formally canonized, and it was not until the 12th century that the Church established an official canonization process overseen by the Pope. While St. Patrick has not been formally canonized, many consider him to hold saintly status.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-story-grid\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid post-grid is-style-3-col \"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item-sm-50 post-grid-item-md-33\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"History of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"A marching band participates in the annual St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade along 5th Ave. on March 17, 2018 in New York City. New York\u0026#039;s Saint Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade is the largest in the world.\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2017/03/gettyimages-933082906.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"A marching band participates in the annual St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade along 5th Ave. on March 17, 2018 in New York City. New York\u0026#039;s Saint Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade is the largest in the world.\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003eHistory of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item-sm-50 post-grid-item-md-33\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland?\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"Revellers dressed in green pose photo during the the annual St Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade in Dublin on March 17, 2022.\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2014/03/gettyimages-1239264332.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Revellers dressed in green pose photo during the the annual St Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade in Dublin on March 17, 2022.\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003eIs St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item-sm-50 post-grid-item-md-33\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"7 St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"(Original Caption) Woodcut depicting the Anniversary of St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day in New York, Saturday, March 17, 1860. The triumphal car of the Burd of Erin, military companies, civic authorities, friendly societies, etc. are all shown. Undated illustration.\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2019/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-517403142-1.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"(Original Caption) Woodcut depicting the Anniversary of St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day in New York, Saturday, March 17, 1860. The triumphal car of the Burd of Erin, military companies, civic authorities, friendly societies, etc. are all shown. Undated illustration.\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003e7 St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-there-were-no-snakes-around-for-st-patrick-to-banish-from-ireland\"\u003e3. There Were No Snakes Around for St. Patrick to Banish from Ireland\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland—prompting all serpents to slither away into the sea. Snakes, as a Biblical reference, \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article-abstract/80/1/275/1011075\"\u003egenerally connote evil\u003c/a\u003e. But, if the legend is to be taken literally, research suggests snakes in fact never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place. There are no signs of snakes in the country’s fossil record. And water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacial period. Before that, the region was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-leprechauns-are-likely-based-on-celtic-fairies\"\u003e4. Leprechauns Are Likely Based on Celtic Fairies\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-the-shamrock-was-considered-a-sacred-plant\"\u003e5. The Shamrock Was Considered a Sacred Plant\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"\u003e6. \u003cstrong\u003eIreland’s Only Female Patron Saint, Brigid, Has Her Own Holiday\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of Ireland’s three \u003ca href=\"https://www.discoveringireland.com/irelands-saints/\"\u003epatron saints\u003c/a\u003e, alongside St. Patrick and St. Columcille, St. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle. Believed to have been born in Ireland sometime around A.D. 450, Brigid was the daughter of a pagan king and an enslaved woman. She grew up to serve the church by building a church in Kildare, which was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc#brigid-the-goddess\"\u003eformer shrine\u003c/a\u003e to the Celtic goddess, eponymous to her.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eSaid to have died in A.D. 524, Brigid\u0026#8217;s memory was kept alive by the church, which canonized her as St. Brigid. In 2023, Ireland \u003ca href=\"https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/St-Brigids-Day#:~:text=Brigid%27s%20Day%20%2D%20L%C3%A1%20Fh%C3%A9ile%20Br%C3%ADde,year%20for%20our%20rural%20ancestors%3F\"\u003edesignated\u003c/a\u003e February 1 a permanent public holiday in Brigid’s honor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-the-first-st-patrick-s-day-parade-was-held-in-america\"\u003e7. The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was Held in America\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile people in Ireland had celebrated St. Patrick since the 1600s, the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America and actually predates the founding of the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eRecords \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/17/the-incredible-story-of-americas-first-st-patricks-day-celebration/\"\u003eshow\u003c/a\u003e that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony\u0026#8217;s Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 17. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. In 2020 and 2021, parades throughout the country, including in New York City and Boston, were canceled or postponed for the first time in decades due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. They returned in 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-the-irish-were-once-scorned-in-america\"\u003e8. The Irish Were Once Scorned in America\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Irish Americans are now proud to showcase their heritage, the Irish were not always celebrated by fellow Americans. Beginning in 1845, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine\"\u003edevastating potato blight\u003c/a\u003e caused widespread hunger throughout Ireland. While approximately 1 million perished, another 2 million abandoned their land in the largest-single population movement of the 19th century. Most of the exiles—nearly a quarter of the Irish nation—came to the shores of the United States. Once they arrived, the Irish refugees were looked down upon as disease-ridden, unskilled and a drain on welfare budgets. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-corned-beef-and-cabbage-was-an-american-innovation\"\u003e9. Corned Beef and Cabbage Was an American Innovation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe meal that became a St. Patrick’s Day staple across the country—corned beef and cabbage—was an American innovation. While ham and cabbage were eaten in Ireland, corned beef offered a cheaper substitute for impoverished immigrants. Irish Americans living in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants\"\u003eslums of lower Manhattan\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;in the late 19th century and early 20th purchased leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/tag/china\"\u003eChina\u003c/a\u003e. The Irish would boil the beef three times—the last time with cabbage—to remove some of the brine.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__content\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"block-banner__heading h4\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\tNew Book: This Day in History for Kids\t\t\t\t\u003c/h3\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__text\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\u003cp\u003eOrder your copy of the new book \u003cem\u003eThis Day in History for Kids\u003c/em\u003e from The HISTORY Channel! Don\u0026#8217;t miss your chance to own this visual adventure through history for kids ages 8-12, with day-by-day accounts of extraordinary events, notable people and incredible inventions.\u003c/p\u003e\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__cta\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/leaving-ae/this-day-in-history-for-kids?referrerUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguinrandomhouse.com%2Fbooks%2F738225%2Fthe-history-channel-this-day-in-history-for-kids-by-dan-bova-and-the-editors-of-history-channel%2F\" class=\"button is-style-alt\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOrder Now\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/a\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__image\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2024/03/2-Book_Marketing_Kids_History_090-1.jpg?width=1024\u0026#038;height=576\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t","protected":false,"blocks":[{"clientId":"80132de8-d08d-46d3-ae41-d038fab39d53","name":"corpnews-blocks/subhead","attributes":[],"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"c2f4768e-ed53-46a3-b6b2-2870e7b22d0f","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"While St. Patrick’s Day is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they're not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebrations were held in the 17th century on March 17, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century. Learn more about the holiday’s history and how it evolved into the event it is today. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"3b468f01-2432-4692-8730-8966b45b983b","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"1. The Real St. Patrick Was Born in Britain","level":2,"id":"1-the-real-st-patrick-was-born-in-britain"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"2b93437a-be5c-4995-b762-67d7cd7aa355","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"21148206","duration":0,"contentRating":"","title":"The History of St. Patrick's Day","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"Distinguish St. Patrick's Day myths from reality and find out why this holiday is celebrated by millions of Irish people around the world.","pplId":["34764"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/AG3E0jyatNm4","rating":"TV-G","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/173/History_History_of_St_Patricks_Day_SF_re1_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"c7f8ad14-c0c6-44cd-9840-ed10f1c2ae92","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Much of what is known about St. Patrick's life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in the area now known as Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"a4d6ca28-bdf8-492f-8d2b-729b16a9d4b8","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"2. \u003cstrong\u003eSt. Patrick Was Never Canonized\u003c/strong\u003e","level":2,"id":"2-st-patrick-was-never-canonized"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"93960ee0-01f9-4ff1-b69d-ea46c8ec6368","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Despite his status as a patron saint, \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick\"\u003eSt. Patrick\u003c/a\u003e was never actually canonized by the Church during his lifetime. This was primarily because such a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/24/papal-saints-once-a-given-now-extremely-rare/#:~:text=In%20993%2C%20St.,and%20documented%20potential%20saints'%20lives\"\u003eprocess\u003c/a\u003e did not exist when he died in A.D. 461. It wasn’t until 993 that St. Ulrich of Augsburg became the first saint to be formally canonized, and it was not until the 12th century that the Church established an official canonization process overseen by the Pope. While St. Patrick has not been formally canonized, many consider him to hold saintly status.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"50f81948-f770-4c27-ab4e-a4329ac43453","name":"corpnews-blocks/story-grid","attributes":{"posts":"[{\"id\":10176,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/topics\\/st-patricks-day\\/history-of-st-patricks-day-parades-around-the-world\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"History of St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Parades Around the World\"},\"type\":\"topic\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"New York City and the First St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Parade One of the earliest St. Patrick\\u2019s Day celebrations in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homeland\\u2019s saint, a 5th century Christian missionary who died on March 17, 461, according to some claims. In the [\\u2026]\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"},{\"id\":29929,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/is-st-patricks-day-celebrated-in-ireland\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"Is St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Celebrated in Ireland?\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"The holiday was traditionally a more solemn occasion on the Emerald Isle\\u2014until Americans got involved.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"},{\"id\":34928,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/st-patricks-day-myths-debunked\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Legends and Myths Debunked\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"Before you celebrate St. Patrick\\u2019s Day, get your facts straight by exploring common misconceptions about the holiday.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"}]","className":"is-style-3-col","preview":false,"postType":["any"],"cardsHeading":""},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"1bf1502e-66a2-4df0-a11f-50a28c958f4d","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"3. There Were No Snakes Around for St. Patrick to Banish from Ireland","level":2,"id":"2-there-were-no-snakes-around-for-st-patrick-to-banish-from-ireland"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"9c0f4ae0-5412-4f39-b004-2f18ee8055e9","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Among the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland—prompting all serpents to slither away into the sea. Snakes, as a Biblical reference, \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article-abstract/80/1/275/1011075\"\u003egenerally connote evil\u003c/a\u003e. But, if the legend is to be taken literally, research suggests snakes in fact never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place. There are no signs of snakes in the country’s fossil record. And water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacial period. Before that, the region was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"0f88723d-6295-4b34-892f-9dbce8266e50","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"4. Leprechauns Are Likely Based on Celtic Fairies","level":2,"id":"3-leprechauns-are-likely-based-on-celtic-fairies"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"4979a4ab-c20d-4fb0-9a93-9e4877e3ebb9","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"21152393","duration":0,"contentRating":"","title":"Are Leprechauns Real?","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"The mythological beings known as \"leprechauns\" have appeared for centuries in Irish folklore. The pot of gold didn't come until much later.","pplId":["109906"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/jNXJVGRgqIZT","rating":"TV-PG","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/177/History_St_Patricks_Day_Leprechauns_SF_re1_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"7a317034-b962-4d01-807c-e320d9350984","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"bc4a7f20-b2ed-467b-99ae-425d268d48f7","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"5. The Shamrock Was Considered a Sacred Plant","level":2,"id":"4-the-shamrock-was-considered-a-sacred-plant"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"20c16e78-111c-4882-b477-fad05c3893c9","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"21117463","duration":0,"contentRating":"","title":"Are Shamrocks Really Lucky?","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"Why are shamrocks associated with St. Patrick's Day? The real history of this little green plant is steeped in religion, heritage, and Irish national pride.","pplId":["109907"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/0uJYXDr4vuBv","rating":"TV-PG","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/143/History_St_Patricks_Day_Shamrocks_SF_re1_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"da2ebd98-5aaa-4ae1-953d-455d254a92cd","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"8f04e473-bb5f-454a-b44d-20ef8a529635","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"6. \u003cstrong\u003eIreland’s Only Female Patron Saint, Brigid, Has Her Own Holiday\u003c/strong\u003e","level":2,"id":"6-irelands-only-female-patron-saint-brigid-has-her-own-holiday"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"3935290f-370f-4e0a-868e-2077d7749334","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"One of Ireland’s three \u003ca href=\"https://www.discoveringireland.com/irelands-saints/\"\u003epatron saints\u003c/a\u003e, alongside St. Patrick and St. Columcille, St. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle. Believed to have been born in Ireland sometime around A.D. 450, Brigid was the daughter of a pagan king and an enslaved woman. She grew up to serve the church by building a church in Kildare, which was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc#brigid-the-goddess\"\u003eformer shrine\u003c/a\u003e to the Celtic goddess, eponymous to her.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"bef73e10-6056-4ab8-adb0-fe7916e2bae7","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Said to have died in A.D. 524, Brigid's memory was kept alive by the church, which canonized her as St. Brigid. In 2023, Ireland \u003ca href=\"https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/St-Brigids-Day#:~:text=Brigid%27s%20Day%20%2D%20L%C3%A1%20Fh%C3%A9ile%20Br%C3%ADde,year%20for%20our%20rural%20ancestors%3F\"\u003edesignated\u003c/a\u003e February 1 a permanent public holiday in Brigid’s honor.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"10963537-119b-4c5f-a2aa-e726fbeb10ee","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"7. The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was Held in America","level":2,"id":"5-the-first-st-patrick-s-day-parade-was-held-in-america"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"1bc44be7-8018-4e22-9a50-ca5e952c9874","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"While people in Ireland had celebrated St. Patrick since the 1600s, the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America and actually predates the founding of the United States.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b9491540-5c4f-48e2-b52b-4bf9fb39528d","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Records \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/17/the-incredible-story-of-americas-first-st-patricks-day-celebration/\"\u003eshow\u003c/a\u003e that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony's Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 17. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. In 2020 and 2021, parades throughout the country, including in New York City and Boston, were canceled or postponed for the first time in decades due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. They returned in 2022.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"3f172025-2eec-4836-9e0a-bd2be9c8fcbb","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"8. The Irish Were Once Scorned in America","level":2,"id":"6-the-irish-were-once-scorned-in-america"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"e099b0ff-943f-4ed8-8edd-97b0de205282","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"1332253763625","duration":191,"contentRating":"TV-PG","title":"Why America Loves/Hated the Irish","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"Today, Irish traditions are seamlessly embedded in American culture. But once upon a time, the American people rejected—even hated—those immigrating from the Emerald Isle.","pplId":["220428"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/hGg_tVDpkjsA","rating":"TV-PG","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/777/203/BRANDHD2398_THC_HOSF_220428_SFM_000_2398_15_20180925_00_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"42d39dc7-8644-4148-9129-ff84c9412371","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"While Irish Americans are now proud to showcase their heritage, the Irish were not always celebrated by fellow Americans. Beginning in 1845, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine\"\u003edevastating potato blight\u003c/a\u003e caused widespread hunger throughout Ireland. While approximately 1 million perished, another 2 million abandoned their land in the largest-single population movement of the 19th century. Most of the exiles—nearly a quarter of the Irish nation—came to the shores of the United States. Once they arrived, the Irish refugees were looked down upon as disease-ridden, unskilled and a drain on welfare budgets. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"45b1c2a4-a279-491f-bc72-fa4b5449545c","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"9. Corned Beef and Cabbage Was an American Innovation","level":2,"id":"7-corned-beef-and-cabbage-was-an-american-innovation"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"0b687ec6-b6fd-4102-8565-e5b0accbd208","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The meal that became a St. Patrick’s Day staple across the country—corned beef and cabbage—was an American innovation. While ham and cabbage were eaten in Ireland, corned beef offered a cheaper substitute for impoverished immigrants. Irish Americans living in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants\"\u003eslums of lower Manhattan\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;in the late 19th century and early 20th purchased leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/tag/china\"\u003eChina\u003c/a\u003e. The Irish would boil the beef three times—the last time with cabbage—to remove some of the brine.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"a7488e06-ef3e-4d3f-a260-4464c3419575","name":"corpnews-blocks/banner","attributes":{"heading":"New Book: This Day in History for Kids","text":"\u003cp\u003eOrder your copy of the new book \u003cem\u003eThis Day in History for Kids\u003c/em\u003e from The HISTORY Channel! Don't miss your chance to own this visual adventure through history for kids ages 8-12, with day-by-day accounts of extraordinary events, notable people and incredible inventions.\u003c/p\u003e","bgMediaID":64577,"bgMediaURL":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2024/03/2-Book_Marketing_Kids_History_090-1.jpg","ctaEnabled":true,"ctaURL":"https://www.history.com/leaving-ae/this-day-in-history-for-kids?referrerUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguinrandomhouse.com%2Fbooks%2F738225%2Fthe-history-channel-this-day-in-history-for-kids-by-dan-bova-and-the-editors-of-history-channel%2F","ctaButtonText":"Order Now","ctaNewTab":false},"innerBlocks":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day traditions start in America?","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":30226,"template":"","meta":{"video_platform_id":"","video_duration":0,"video_content_rating":"","video_disable_autoplay":false,"curated_related_posts":"","disable_related_posts":"","subhead":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","exclude_from_rss":false,"distribute_scheduled_post":[],"downloadable_assets":[],"footnotes":"","reading_time":6},"tags":[],"article_type":[],"story_byline":[406],"story_category":[286],"class_list":["post-30225","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","story_byline-history","story_category-st-patricks-day"],"prepublish_checks":{},"is_external":false,"article_type_meta":"","tags_meta":"","disable_interrupter":"","primary_term":286,"video_thumbnail":false,"hide_on_google_news":false,"yoast_head_json":{"title":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick's Day | HISTORY","description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick's Day | HISTORY","og_description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","og_url":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","og_site_name":"HISTORY","og_image":[{"width":2200,"height":1000,"url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","type":"image/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","twitter_image":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=800\u0026height=400\u0026crop=1\u0026w=800\u0026h=400\u0026q=100","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts"},"author":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/0a761f18b01c3b4e591d04db1d08705c"},"headline":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day","datePublished":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts"},"wordCount":1010,"image":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","url":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","name":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick's Day | HISTORY","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.history.com#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? 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All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.","url":"https://www.history.com/author/history"}]},"news_article_schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day","description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","url":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/","thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-07 21:16:48","dateModified":"2024-03-07 21:16:48","articleSection":"St. Patrick’s Day","creator":["History.com Editors"],"keywords":[],"author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/0a761f18b01c3b4e591d04db1d08705c","name":"History.com Editors","description":"HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.","url":"https://www.history.com/author/history"}},"video_schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The History of St. Patrick's Day","description":"Distinguish St. Patrick's Day myths from reality and find out why this holiday is celebrated by millions of Irish people around the world.","thumbnailUrl":["https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/173/History_History_of_St_Patricks_Day_SF_re1_HD.jpg"],"duration":0,"embedUrl":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/"}}},"posts":[{"id":30225,"date":"2024-03-07T16:16:48","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T21:16:48","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2024-03-07T16:16:48","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T21:16:48","slug":"st-patricks-day-facts","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","title":{"rendered":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile St. Patrick’s Day is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they\u0026#8217;re not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebrations were held in the 17th century on March 17, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century. Learn more about the holiday’s history and how it evolved into the event it is today. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-the-real-st-patrick-was-born-in-britain\"\u003e1. The Real St. Patrick Was Born in Britain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eMuch of what is known about St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in the area now known as Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"\u003e2. \u003cstrong\u003eSt. Patrick Was Never Canonized\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite his status as a patron saint, \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick\"\u003eSt. Patrick\u003c/a\u003e was never actually canonized by the Church during his lifetime. This was primarily because such a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/24/papal-saints-once-a-given-now-extremely-rare/#:~:text=In%20993%2C%20St.,and%20documented%20potential%20saints'%20lives\"\u003eprocess\u003c/a\u003e did not exist when he died in A.D. 461. It wasn’t until 993 that St. Ulrich of Augsburg became the first saint to be formally canonized, and it was not until the 12th century that the Church established an official canonization process overseen by the Pope. While St. Patrick has not been formally canonized, many consider him to hold saintly status.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-story-grid\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid post-grid is-style-3-col \"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item-sm-50 post-grid-item-md-33\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"History of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"A marching band participates in the annual St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade along 5th Ave. on March 17, 2018 in New York City. New York\u0026#039;s Saint Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade is the largest in the world.\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2017/03/gettyimages-933082906.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"A marching band participates in the annual St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade along 5th Ave. on March 17, 2018 in New York City. New York\u0026#039;s Saint Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade is the largest in the world.\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003eHistory of St. Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item-sm-50 post-grid-item-md-33\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland?\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"Revellers dressed in green pose photo during the the annual St Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade in Dublin on March 17, 2022.\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2014/03/gettyimages-1239264332.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Revellers dressed in green pose photo during the the annual St Patrick\u0026#039;s Day parade in Dublin on March 17, 2022.\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003eIs St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in Ireland?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item-sm-50 post-grid-item-md-33\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"7 St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"(Original Caption) Woodcut depicting the Anniversary of St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day in New York, Saturday, March 17, 1860. The triumphal car of the Burd of Erin, military companies, civic authorities, friendly societies, etc. are all shown. Undated illustration.\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2019/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-517403142-1.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"(Original Caption) Woodcut depicting the Anniversary of St. Patrick\u0026#039;s Day in New York, Saturday, March 17, 1860. The triumphal car of the Burd of Erin, military companies, civic authorities, friendly societies, etc. are all shown. Undated illustration.\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003e7 St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-there-were-no-snakes-around-for-st-patrick-to-banish-from-ireland\"\u003e3. There Were No Snakes Around for St. Patrick to Banish from Ireland\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland—prompting all serpents to slither away into the sea. Snakes, as a Biblical reference, \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article-abstract/80/1/275/1011075\"\u003egenerally connote evil\u003c/a\u003e. But, if the legend is to be taken literally, research suggests snakes in fact never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place. There are no signs of snakes in the country’s fossil record. And water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacial period. Before that, the region was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-leprechauns-are-likely-based-on-celtic-fairies\"\u003e4. Leprechauns Are Likely Based on Celtic Fairies\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-the-shamrock-was-considered-a-sacred-plant\"\u003e5. The Shamrock Was Considered a Sacred Plant\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"\u003e6. \u003cstrong\u003eIreland’s Only Female Patron Saint, Brigid, Has Her Own Holiday\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of Ireland’s three \u003ca href=\"https://www.discoveringireland.com/irelands-saints/\"\u003epatron saints\u003c/a\u003e, alongside St. Patrick and St. Columcille, St. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle. Believed to have been born in Ireland sometime around A.D. 450, Brigid was the daughter of a pagan king and an enslaved woman. She grew up to serve the church by building a church in Kildare, which was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc#brigid-the-goddess\"\u003eformer shrine\u003c/a\u003e to the Celtic goddess, eponymous to her.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eSaid to have died in A.D. 524, Brigid\u0026#8217;s memory was kept alive by the church, which canonized her as St. Brigid. In 2023, Ireland \u003ca href=\"https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/St-Brigids-Day#:~:text=Brigid%27s%20Day%20%2D%20L%C3%A1%20Fh%C3%A9ile%20Br%C3%ADde,year%20for%20our%20rural%20ancestors%3F\"\u003edesignated\u003c/a\u003e February 1 a permanent public holiday in Brigid’s honor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-the-first-st-patrick-s-day-parade-was-held-in-america\"\u003e7. The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was Held in America\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile people in Ireland had celebrated St. Patrick since the 1600s, the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America and actually predates the founding of the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eRecords \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/17/the-incredible-story-of-americas-first-st-patricks-day-celebration/\"\u003eshow\u003c/a\u003e that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony\u0026#8217;s Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 17. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. In 2020 and 2021, parades throughout the country, including in New York City and Boston, were canceled or postponed for the first time in decades due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. They returned in 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-the-irish-were-once-scorned-in-america\"\u003e8. The Irish Were Once Scorned in America\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Irish Americans are now proud to showcase their heritage, the Irish were not always celebrated by fellow Americans. Beginning in 1845, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine\"\u003edevastating potato blight\u003c/a\u003e caused widespread hunger throughout Ireland. While approximately 1 million perished, another 2 million abandoned their land in the largest-single population movement of the 19th century. Most of the exiles—nearly a quarter of the Irish nation—came to the shores of the United States. Once they arrived, the Irish refugees were looked down upon as disease-ridden, unskilled and a drain on welfare budgets. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-corned-beef-and-cabbage-was-an-american-innovation\"\u003e9. Corned Beef and Cabbage Was an American Innovation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe meal that became a St. Patrick’s Day staple across the country—corned beef and cabbage—was an American innovation. While ham and cabbage were eaten in Ireland, corned beef offered a cheaper substitute for impoverished immigrants. Irish Americans living in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants\"\u003eslums of lower Manhattan\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;in the late 19th century and early 20th purchased leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/tag/china\"\u003eChina\u003c/a\u003e. The Irish would boil the beef three times—the last time with cabbage—to remove some of the brine.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__content\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"block-banner__heading h4\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\tNew Book: This Day in History for Kids\t\t\t\t\u003c/h3\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__text\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\u003cp\u003eOrder your copy of the new book \u003cem\u003eThis Day in History for Kids\u003c/em\u003e from The HISTORY Channel! Don\u0026#8217;t miss your chance to own this visual adventure through history for kids ages 8-12, with day-by-day accounts of extraordinary events, notable people and incredible inventions.\u003c/p\u003e\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__cta\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/leaving-ae/this-day-in-history-for-kids?referrerUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguinrandomhouse.com%2Fbooks%2F738225%2Fthe-history-channel-this-day-in-history-for-kids-by-dan-bova-and-the-editors-of-history-channel%2F\" class=\"button is-style-alt\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOrder Now\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/a\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-banner__image\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2024/03/2-Book_Marketing_Kids_History_090-1.jpg?width=1024\u0026#038;height=576\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t","protected":false,"blocks":[{"clientId":"80132de8-d08d-46d3-ae41-d038fab39d53","name":"corpnews-blocks/subhead","attributes":[],"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"c2f4768e-ed53-46a3-b6b2-2870e7b22d0f","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"While St. Patrick’s Day is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they're not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebrations were held in the 17th century on March 17, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century. Learn more about the holiday’s history and how it evolved into the event it is today. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"3b468f01-2432-4692-8730-8966b45b983b","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"1. The Real St. Patrick Was Born in Britain","level":2,"id":"1-the-real-st-patrick-was-born-in-britain"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"2b93437a-be5c-4995-b762-67d7cd7aa355","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"21148206","duration":0,"contentRating":"","title":"The History of St. Patrick's Day","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"Distinguish St. Patrick's Day myths from reality and find out why this holiday is celebrated by millions of Irish people around the world.","pplId":["34764"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/AG3E0jyatNm4","rating":"TV-G","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/173/History_History_of_St_Patricks_Day_SF_re1_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"c7f8ad14-c0c6-44cd-9840-ed10f1c2ae92","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Much of what is known about St. Patrick's life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in the area now known as Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"a4d6ca28-bdf8-492f-8d2b-729b16a9d4b8","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"2. \u003cstrong\u003eSt. Patrick Was Never Canonized\u003c/strong\u003e","level":2,"id":"2-st-patrick-was-never-canonized"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"93960ee0-01f9-4ff1-b69d-ea46c8ec6368","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Despite his status as a patron saint, \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick\"\u003eSt. Patrick\u003c/a\u003e was never actually canonized by the Church during his lifetime. This was primarily because such a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/24/papal-saints-once-a-given-now-extremely-rare/#:~:text=In%20993%2C%20St.,and%20documented%20potential%20saints'%20lives\"\u003eprocess\u003c/a\u003e did not exist when he died in A.D. 461. It wasn’t until 993 that St. Ulrich of Augsburg became the first saint to be formally canonized, and it was not until the 12th century that the Church established an official canonization process overseen by the Pope. While St. Patrick has not been formally canonized, many consider him to hold saintly status.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"50f81948-f770-4c27-ab4e-a4329ac43453","name":"corpnews-blocks/story-grid","attributes":{"posts":"[{\"id\":10176,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/topics\\/st-patricks-day\\/history-of-st-patricks-day-parades-around-the-world\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"History of St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Parades Around the World\"},\"type\":\"topic\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"New York City and the First St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Parade One of the earliest St. Patrick\\u2019s Day celebrations in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homeland\\u2019s saint, a 5th century Christian missionary who died on March 17, 461, according to some claims. In the [\\u2026]\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"},{\"id\":29929,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/is-st-patricks-day-celebrated-in-ireland\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"Is St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Celebrated in Ireland?\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"The holiday was traditionally a more solemn occasion on the Emerald Isle\\u2014until Americans got involved.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"},{\"id\":34928,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/st-patricks-day-myths-debunked\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"St. Patrick\\u2019s Day Legends and Myths Debunked\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"Before you celebrate St. Patrick\\u2019s Day, get your facts straight by exploring common misconceptions about the holiday.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"}]","className":"is-style-3-col","preview":false,"postType":["any"],"cardsHeading":""},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"1bf1502e-66a2-4df0-a11f-50a28c958f4d","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"3. There Were No Snakes Around for St. Patrick to Banish from Ireland","level":2,"id":"2-there-were-no-snakes-around-for-st-patrick-to-banish-from-ireland"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"9c0f4ae0-5412-4f39-b004-2f18ee8055e9","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Among the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland—prompting all serpents to slither away into the sea. Snakes, as a Biblical reference, \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article-abstract/80/1/275/1011075\"\u003egenerally connote evil\u003c/a\u003e. But, if the legend is to be taken literally, research suggests snakes in fact never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place. There are no signs of snakes in the country’s fossil record. And water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacial period. Before that, the region was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"0f88723d-6295-4b34-892f-9dbce8266e50","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"4. Leprechauns Are Likely Based on Celtic Fairies","level":2,"id":"3-leprechauns-are-likely-based-on-celtic-fairies"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"4979a4ab-c20d-4fb0-9a93-9e4877e3ebb9","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"21152393","duration":0,"contentRating":"","title":"Are Leprechauns Real?","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"The mythological beings known as \"leprechauns\" have appeared for centuries in Irish folklore. The pot of gold didn't come until much later.","pplId":["109906"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/jNXJVGRgqIZT","rating":"TV-PG","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/177/History_St_Patricks_Day_Leprechauns_SF_re1_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"7a317034-b962-4d01-807c-e320d9350984","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"bc4a7f20-b2ed-467b-99ae-425d268d48f7","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"5. The Shamrock Was Considered a Sacred Plant","level":2,"id":"4-the-shamrock-was-considered-a-sacred-plant"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"20c16e78-111c-4882-b477-fad05c3893c9","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"21117463","duration":0,"contentRating":"","title":"Are Shamrocks Really Lucky?","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"Why are shamrocks associated with St. Patrick's Day? The real history of this little green plant is steeped in religion, heritage, and Irish national pride.","pplId":["109907"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/0uJYXDr4vuBv","rating":"TV-PG","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/143/History_St_Patricks_Day_Shamrocks_SF_re1_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"da2ebd98-5aaa-4ae1-953d-455d254a92cd","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"8f04e473-bb5f-454a-b44d-20ef8a529635","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"6. \u003cstrong\u003eIreland’s Only Female Patron Saint, Brigid, Has Her Own Holiday\u003c/strong\u003e","level":2,"id":"6-irelands-only-female-patron-saint-brigid-has-her-own-holiday"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"3935290f-370f-4e0a-868e-2077d7749334","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"One of Ireland’s three \u003ca href=\"https://www.discoveringireland.com/irelands-saints/\"\u003epatron saints\u003c/a\u003e, alongside St. Patrick and St. Columcille, St. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle. Believed to have been born in Ireland sometime around A.D. 450, Brigid was the daughter of a pagan king and an enslaved woman. She grew up to serve the church by building a church in Kildare, which was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc#brigid-the-goddess\"\u003eformer shrine\u003c/a\u003e to the Celtic goddess, eponymous to her.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"bef73e10-6056-4ab8-adb0-fe7916e2bae7","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Said to have died in A.D. 524, Brigid's memory was kept alive by the church, which canonized her as St. Brigid. In 2023, Ireland \u003ca href=\"https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/St-Brigids-Day#:~:text=Brigid%27s%20Day%20%2D%20L%C3%A1%20Fh%C3%A9ile%20Br%C3%ADde,year%20for%20our%20rural%20ancestors%3F\"\u003edesignated\u003c/a\u003e February 1 a permanent public holiday in Brigid’s honor.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"10963537-119b-4c5f-a2aa-e726fbeb10ee","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"7. The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was Held in America","level":2,"id":"5-the-first-st-patrick-s-day-parade-was-held-in-america"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"1bc44be7-8018-4e22-9a50-ca5e952c9874","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"While people in Ireland had celebrated St. Patrick since the 1600s, the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America and actually predates the founding of the United States.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b9491540-5c4f-48e2-b52b-4bf9fb39528d","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Records \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/17/the-incredible-story-of-americas-first-st-patricks-day-celebration/\"\u003eshow\u003c/a\u003e that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony's Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 17. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. In 2020 and 2021, parades throughout the country, including in New York City and Boston, were canceled or postponed for the first time in decades due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. They returned in 2022.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"3f172025-2eec-4836-9e0a-bd2be9c8fcbb","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"8. The Irish Were Once Scorned in America","level":2,"id":"6-the-irish-were-once-scorned-in-america"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"e099b0ff-943f-4ed8-8edd-97b0de205282","name":"history/video","attributes":{"platformId":"1332253763625","duration":191,"contentRating":"TV-PG","title":"Why America Loves/Hated the Irish","disableAutoplay":false,"description":"Today, Irish traditions are seamlessly embedded in American culture. But once upon a time, the American people rejected—even hated—those immigrating from the Emerald Isle.","pplId":["220428"],"restrictionId":0,"publicUrl":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/hGg_tVDpkjsA","rating":"TV-PG","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/777/203/BRANDHD2398_THC_HOSF_220428_SFM_000_2398_15_20180925_00_HD.jpg"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"42d39dc7-8644-4148-9129-ff84c9412371","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"While Irish Americans are now proud to showcase their heritage, the Irish were not always celebrated by fellow Americans. Beginning in 1845, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine\"\u003edevastating potato blight\u003c/a\u003e caused widespread hunger throughout Ireland. While approximately 1 million perished, another 2 million abandoned their land in the largest-single population movement of the 19th century. Most of the exiles—nearly a quarter of the Irish nation—came to the shores of the United States. Once they arrived, the Irish refugees were looked down upon as disease-ridden, unskilled and a drain on welfare budgets. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"45b1c2a4-a279-491f-bc72-fa4b5449545c","name":"core/heading","attributes":{"content":"9. Corned Beef and Cabbage Was an American Innovation","level":2,"id":"7-corned-beef-and-cabbage-was-an-american-innovation"},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"0b687ec6-b6fd-4102-8565-e5b0accbd208","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The meal that became a St. Patrick’s Day staple across the country—corned beef and cabbage—was an American innovation. While ham and cabbage were eaten in Ireland, corned beef offered a cheaper substitute for impoverished immigrants. Irish Americans living in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants\"\u003eslums of lower Manhattan\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;in the late 19th century and early 20th purchased leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in \u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/tag/china\"\u003eChina\u003c/a\u003e. The Irish would boil the beef three times—the last time with cabbage—to remove some of the brine.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"a7488e06-ef3e-4d3f-a260-4464c3419575","name":"corpnews-blocks/banner","attributes":{"heading":"New Book: This Day in History for Kids","text":"\u003cp\u003eOrder your copy of the new book \u003cem\u003eThis Day in History for Kids\u003c/em\u003e from The HISTORY Channel! Don't miss your chance to own this visual adventure through history for kids ages 8-12, with day-by-day accounts of extraordinary events, notable people and incredible inventions.\u003c/p\u003e","bgMediaID":64577,"bgMediaURL":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2024/03/2-Book_Marketing_Kids_History_090-1.jpg","ctaEnabled":true,"ctaURL":"https://www.history.com/leaving-ae/this-day-in-history-for-kids?referrerUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguinrandomhouse.com%2Fbooks%2F738225%2Fthe-history-channel-this-day-in-history-for-kids-by-dan-bova-and-the-editors-of-history-channel%2F","ctaButtonText":"Order Now","ctaNewTab":false},"innerBlocks":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day traditions start in America?","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":30226,"template":"","meta":{"video_platform_id":"","video_duration":0,"video_content_rating":"","video_disable_autoplay":false,"curated_related_posts":"","disable_related_posts":"","subhead":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","exclude_from_rss":false,"distribute_scheduled_post":[],"downloadable_assets":[],"footnotes":"","reading_time":6},"tags":[],"article_type":[],"story_byline":[406],"story_category":[286],"class_list":["post-30225","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","story_byline-history","story_category-st-patricks-day"],"prepublish_checks":{},"is_external":false,"article_type_meta":"","tags_meta":"","disable_interrupter":"","primary_term":286,"video_thumbnail":false,"hide_on_google_news":false,"yoast_head_json":{"title":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick's Day | HISTORY","description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick's Day | HISTORY","og_description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","og_url":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","og_site_name":"HISTORY","og_image":[{"width":2200,"height":1000,"url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","type":"image/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? Was that legend about the snakes true? And why did so many St. Patrick's Day traditions start in America?","twitter_image":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg?width=800\u0026height=400\u0026crop=1\u0026w=800\u0026h=400\u0026q=100","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts"},"author":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/0a761f18b01c3b4e591d04db1d08705c"},"headline":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick\u0026#8217;s Day","datePublished":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts"},"wordCount":1010,"image":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","url":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts","name":"9 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick's Day | HISTORY","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.history.com#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2020/03/st-patricks-day-gettyimages-900812820.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-07T21:16:48+00:00","description":"Who was the real St. Patrick? 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Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.","url":"https://www.history.com/author/history"}},"video_schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The History of St. Patrick's Day","description":"Distinguish St. Patrick's Day myths from reality and find out why this holiday is celebrated by millions of Irish people around the world.","thumbnailUrl":["https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/173/History_History_of_St_Patricks_Day_SF_re1_HD.jpg"],"duration":0,"embedUrl":"https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts/"}}}],"primaryTerm":{"id":286,"count":26,"description":"\u003cp\u003eSt. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. 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