While there are many mythical stories associated with St. Patrick’s day, there are some really cool and interesting St. Patrick’s Day facts as well!
We bet this amazing list of 29 St. Paddy Day fun facts will baffle you and have you pondering how much you really know about the holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day Facts For Everyone
Paddy day is no ordinary day! It’s the day of the green and promises lots of entertainment as well as infotainment.
There is just so much history around Saint Patrick and Paddy day that you cannot possibly miss it! Make sure to include these surprising St.Patrick’s Day facts for kids in your conversations to give your students a quick download on St. Patrick’s day.
Here are some riveting random St. Patrick’s Day Fun Facts for kids & adults that will stupefy everyone!
1. Saint Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat. He changed his name to Patrick after becoming a priest.
2. St Patrick’s Day parades started in America, not in Ireland, with Irish Americans hosting the first parade in Boston back in 1737.
3. St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain and not Ireland.
Related: Interested in Patricks’ day background? Soak-up on St. Patrick’s Day History & Origins.
4. St. Patrick’s day was officially declared a religious holiday on 17 March 1631 by the Catholic church.
5. St. Patrick died on 17 March 461 CE. Patrick’s Day is celebrated to mark his death anniversary.
6. St. Patrick was never canonised a saint by the Catholic Church! However, he came to be called a ‘Saint’ on popular commendation.
7. Traditionally, blue was associated with St. Patrick’s day instead of the current green!
The latter colour is associated with the Great Irish Rebellion of 1798 when Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms. It then became the colour of the holiday when American Irish immigrants started to wear green colour to show their support and pride for their country of origin.
8. Shamrock is the Irish national plant and often worn as a lapel on St. Patrick’s day. It is also believed that St. Patrick used the Shamrock or clover to explain the holy trinity – The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Did you know Ireland is known as Emerald Isle? Want to learn more fun facts, beyond St. Patrick’s day? Hop-on to Crazy But True Facts for Kids to be amazed!
9. The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are about 1 in 10,000. Consider yourself very lucky if you do find one!
10. Each leaf of a clover is associated with a meaning. In the case of a four leaf clover, the fourth leaf symbolises luck while the other three connote hope, faith and love.
11. Did you know one out of every 10 Americans have Irish ancestry?
12. Out of 46 American Presidents, 23 Presidents including the current President Joe Biden, have Irish roots.
13. The Chicago River is dyed green every year as part of St. Patrick’s day celebration. This tradition of dying Chicago river green started in 1962.
Quick Tip: Include a few Funny Patrick’s Day Jokes to keep things interesting.
14. Hot Springs, Arkansas holds the shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade with a route of just 98 feet!
15. The oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the United States is held at New York City and features nearly 150,000 participants.
16. Nearly 100 countries celebrate St. Patrick’s day.
17. Almost 5.5 million people visit New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral every year.
18. St. Patrick is believed to be buried in the town of Downpatrick, County Down, in Northern Ireland.
19. According to legend, St. Patrick drove out all the snakes from Ireland. Though we don’t really know for sure if that was the case!
20. Beer is the most popular drink for St. Patrick’s day with Guinness selling nearly 13 million pints worldwide!
21. Until 1970, Ireland celebrated St. Patrick’s day as a dry day to pay religious respect!
22. Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat observe a public holiday on St Patrick’s day.
23. The Roman Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Sydney Opera House and The Burj Al Arab in Dubai light up green on St. Patrick’s day! They are among the popular 690 famous landmarks that go green to mark St. Patrick’s day!
24. Corned beef and Cabbage is eaten as a traditional food on Saint Patrick’s day.
25. Buenos Aires, Argentina hosts the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in South America.
26. In Ireland, the city of Dublin hosts the largest St. Paddy’s day parade.
27. In the year 2020, New York City’s St Patrick’s day parade was postponed, for the first time in the history of 250 years, due to COVID restriction.
28. Did you know, every year the Irish prime minister presents The President of United States a bowl of Shamrocks on St. Patrick’s day? This tradition began on St. Patrick’s day in 1952, when the then Irish Ambassador to the US ,John Hearne, presented a box of Shamrocks to the then U.S President Harry Truman.
29. Paddy day was initially a dry day, owing to its religious significance.
Now that you have devoured these Patty day facts, check your smarts with St. Patrick’s Day Trivia!
Download St. Patrick’s Day Facts Free Printable (pdf)
St. Patrick’s Day Facts
More on St. Patrick’s Day for Kids
1. Patrick’s Day Would You Rather Game
These funny green day questions are a sure way to start conversations and break ice with kids. Sure to get everyone confused choosing between awkward choices, this Would you rather Paddy Day edition is super fun!
2. All About Patrick’s Day Origins & History
Take a dive into the origins, history and traditions of Patrick’s day and sneak in cool facts how this Irish tradition started. We bet you will be surprised! An excellent resource for classroom and homeschooling!
3. Easy Patrick’s Day Crafts
Explore these fun and easy paddy day crafts for kids. Most of these St Patrick’s Day craft are perfect for kids of all ages and come with a free template while a few may require little help from adults.
FAQ
1. Every year the Irish prime minister presents the President of United States a bowl of Shamrocks on St. Patrick’s day.
2. Traditionally, blue was associated with St. Patrick’s day instead of the current green!
3. Paddy day was initially a dry day, owing to its religious significance.
4. Nearly 100 countries celebrate St. Patrick’s day.
5. Did you know one out of every 10 Americans have Irish ancestry?
6. Almost 5.5 million people visit New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral every year.
7. Corned beef and Cabbage is eaten as a traditional food on Saint Patrick’s day.
