Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Fun facts:

A) St. Patrick was actually British, born to Roman parents in either Scotland or Wales (no one is exactly sure which). After being forced into slavery by Irish pirates, he turned to his Christian faith and became one of the first people to bring the religion to the country in the fifth century, around the year 432.

B) Historians say that St. Patrick's color was blue, not green. The use of green on the holiday became common during the 1600s and 1700s, when the clover became a symbol of nationalism and wearing green on lapels became the norm.

C)Up until the 1970s, St. Patrick's Day was considered a religious holiday in Ireland, meaning all the pubs in the country were closed, thanks to a law written by Parliament member James O'Mara. However, Ireland later realized that they could attract lots of tourists for the holiday, and the (green) beer was suddenly free-flowing.

D)According to recent census data, there are 39.6 million Americans who list their heritage as primarily or partially Irish, compared to 6.3 million people in Ireland.

E)St. Patrick reportedly used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity, but later interpretations also said the three leaves are meant to symbolize hope, love, and faith. If there's a fourth leaf, it symbolizes luck, which is why we consider four-leaf clovers to be lucky.

Good Housekeeping

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