Coming Home Magazine

1. St. Patrick wasn't Irish. Well, not technically. Saint Patrick was born around 390 A.D. in either England, Scotland, or Wales—a matter still open to speculation. At 16, he was kidnapped into slavery and brought to Ireland. He escaped to a monastery in Gaul, likely near present-day France, where he converted to Christianity, became a priest, and later a bishop. He returned to Ireland about 40 years later as a missionary and is widely credited with introducing Christianity to the Irish people. He was named the patron saint of Ireland after his death in 461. 2. The first parades were in the United States. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place on March 17, 1601. To honor the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, Irish vicar Ricardo Artur led the first parade in what's now St. Augustine, Florida. The second was in 1737 in Boston, followed by the third in New York City in 1762. Surprisingly, the parade didn't reach Ireland until 1931. 3. The shamrock's origin is pretty foggy. There's quite a debate on the origin of the iconic St. Patrick's Day emblem. Ireland's unofficial national flower, some say that St. Patrick used the shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity while teaching about Christianity. Others say the number three was sacred in Irish mythology well before his time. Regardless, the festive motif remains synonymous with the holiday and is even a registered trademark by the Irish government. 4. Leprechauns had nothing to do with the holiday. The infamous mascots of St. Patrick's Day, leprechauns have been ingrained in Irish culture and folklore for centuries. Part of the fairy family of mythical creatures, these mischievous men allegedly hid gold coins in pots at the end of rainbows. Because leprechauns were so tiny, they were hard to catch, but if you caught one, you'd be granted three wishes in exchange for setting him free. In short, leprechauns and St. Patrick's Day aren't directly related—they're just both Irish symbols. 5. You should be pinched for not wearing blue. From the color of the decorations to the dyed Chicago River, you probably associate St. Patrick's Day with Kelly green. However, Ireland and St. Patrick were actually associated with a shade of sky blue known as "St. Patrick's blue." Green was considered unlucky until after the Irish independence movement in the 18 th century. As the divide between Ireland and the British crown grew, green became a symbol of Irish rebellion. It has been linked to the holiday and country ever since. 6. They almost called it "St. Maewyn's Day." St. Patrick's real name was likely Maewyn Succat (pronounced "may-win"). Legend has it he adopted the name Patricius, derived from the Latin term for "father figure," after becoming a priest in the 5 th century. One thing's for sure—St. Maewyn's Day doesn't have the same ring to it! 7. It used to be a dry observance. St. Patrick's Day was once classified as a religious holiday in Ireland, so all bars had to close for the day. When it transitioned to a national holiday in 1970, everything changed. Now, pubs are a top spot for the holiday's antics, and over 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide every March 17. COMING HOME MAGAZINE 25

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