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Have Ye Got the Luck O' the Irish?
ODDS & ENDS 
Tags: St Patrick's Day, March 17, Ireland, Irish history, Irish traditions
Some random facts about Irish history and St. Patrick's Day you can use to impress your friends on March 17th!
| | The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City, not Ireland, in 1762 when the English Army marched through to help the Irish soldiers reconnect with their roots. |
| | The shamrock as a symbol of Ireland came about because St. Patrick used its three leaves to explain the Trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit |
| | Despite the majority of America's distaste for the Irish, they became a huge political power block known as the "Green Machine," and St. Patrick's Day became a show of strength for Irish Americans |
| | In 1948, President Truman attended New York City's St. Patrick's Day parade |
| | People across the world celebrate this day by wearing green, having parades, and of course, drinking beer. |
| | Even Japan, Singapore, and Russia celebrate St. Patrick's Day |
| | The shamrock was a sacred plant known to the Celts as "seamroy" because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. |
| | Leprechauns originated with the Celtic belief in fairies, known as "lobaircin" |
| | Leprechauns originally had nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day: a Walk Disney movie called Darby O'Gill and the Little People created the modern idea of a cheerful leprechaun |
| | Irish music was used to remind the Irish of their heritage when they were being culturally oppressed by the English |
| | Some traditional Irish instruments are the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle, and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare) |
| | Up until the 1970's, Irish law said that pubs had to be closed on St. Patrick's Day because it was a religious holiday. This changed once Ireland saw it could profit off of tourism on this day. |
| | Each year, the Chicago river is dyed green for several hours to clean out the pollutants. It just "happens" to fall on St. Patrick's Day. |
| | Corned Beef began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century when Lower East Side Irish immigrants learned that it was a cheap alternative to the expensive Irish bacon from their Jewish neighbors |
Lister:
Kristin
Source:
LAL Editor
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