He’s already here St. Patrick’s Day! The day has come when the green of Ireland It dyes the whole world and this country shows its culture, its history, its customs and this joie de vivre that its inhabitants have. We all have, in one way or another, an Irishman in us and whatever we do today, we try to wear something green, look for luck in a three leaf clover and feel the breeze of the River Liffey brush against our skin.
The best of Saint Patrick’s Day it is celebrated everywhere. Traveling in Ireland at this time is one continuous party and, although many are unaware of it, in New York there is also a massive parade to commemorate himthere are memories of this very day in several of the Polynesian islands and even this Madrid 2023 joined the festivities with an incredible bagpipe parade and several other activities.
For this reason, since LOS40 we also wanted to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day 2023 by offering our readers a list of curiosities about Saint Patrick’s Day that show that March 17 is not just any date…
1. Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish…he wasn’t called Patrick either.
He The name of this saint was Maewyn and was born in Scotland at the end of the fourth century AD. He found himself in Ireland after escaping slavery and it was there that he began a long journey of evangelization on which even magical legends weigh that claim that this saint freed Ireland from serpents, an animal that does not exist in the wild on Irish territory.
Saint Patrick. / Getty Images
Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Catholicism to Ireland and this is precisely what made him the patron saint of this nation and the person responsible for ensuring that every March 17 the streets are dyed green. This date was that of Maewyn’s death and therefore the date chosen to honor him and the founding of the Republic of Ireland.
2. The first major St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1996.
People wait for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin. / Getty Images
It is true that Saint Patrick’s Day has been celebrated, especially in Ireland, for a very long time. But the first big parade took place in 1996 in the streets of Dublin in order to extol the historical and cultural values of this country, and to attract the attention of the millions of people of Irish origin who live in different countries. Attendance grew year after year until it was an event followed (and experienced) around the world.
3. The purpose of the Irish three-leaf clover symbol
The three leaf clover is the symbol of Ireland in honor of Saint Patrick. / Getty Images
One of great icons of ireland is the three leaf clover (Iirish shamrock). If it’s seen on posters, videos and parades on this “Globally Irish” day, it’s because Saint Patrick himself used it to explain with its three leaves the existence of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a metaphor for the evangelization that the island had in the last loopholes of the Roman Empire.
4. Beer turns green
Green beer in honor of Saint Patrick. / Getty Images
On Saint Patrick’s Day, they sell over 13 million pints of green beer. It’s actually a drink that tastes the same as normal beer, but with an added ingredient that tints it green. It is a classic that can be found in more and more countries on the most special day of the Irish. Maybe you go out to a bar today and find her!
5. Chicago and its green river?
Chicago’s green river. / Scott Olson/Getty Images
In the American city of Chicago, San Patricio is lived to its final consequences. With many citizens of Irish descent, it’s obvious they’re partying, but Did you also know that they dye their river green? They use all-natural, water-friendly dyes that emerged decades ago with an eco-protest. In the end, it’s all about a show that attracts a lot of people to the city and gives your party an absolutely unique character in the world.
6. The biggest parade does not take place in Ireland
Saint Patrick is increasingly global. The number of descendants of Irish families who have emigrated to countries like the United States means that there are towns outside of Ireland where Saint Patrick’s Day parades are more massive. To that of new Yorkfor example, assist more than 2 million people every yearbeing the largest and most impressive of all.
7. In Spain it is also celebrated
Saint Bernard became Saint Patrick. / Jesus Hellin/Europa Press via Getty Images
Sympathy for the Irish crosses all possible boundaries. So much so that there are cities and towns in Spain with a tremendous tradition of celebrating Saint Patrick. Ito the town of Pontevedra de Caldas de Reis He usually performs a series of acts and celebrations in style. Salamanca or Tenerife also dress in green on this day thanks to the foreign student population that resides or travels to these Spanish cities and for the first time in 2023 Madrid will host a bagpipe parade for San Patricio as well as a station subway bearing the name of this Irish saint.
8. Saint Patrick’s Day on the International Space Station
He came to celebrate Saint Patrick even outside our Planet. precisely in the international space station they are makes several nods to this great Irish tradition. We don’t know if a few pints would fall in space, but we do know that the stars emitted a green light.