Fascinating Facts - St Patrick's Day
- St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history.
- St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
- In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
- Believe it or not, the color of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue! In the 19th century, however, green came to be used as a symbol for Ireland.
- Traditionally a leprechaun is a male fairy and is a hard worker.
- Leprechauns were thought to be wealthy - hiding their money in buried crocks - which has in modern times been called their "pot of gold." Their loot was not the product of trickery but rather through hard work and careful savings.
- Legend held that if a human fixed their eyes on a leprechaun he could not escape - but the second the human gaze wandered - the leprechaun made his escape.
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!
- Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.
- Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
- The shamrock is historically considered good luck by the Irish. It's the country's national symbol and is purported to have been used by St. Patrick to illustrate the Trinity.