Fun Facts - article by Reports and Reviews

St. Patrick's Day - Fun Facts

Here are some fun facts about this wonderful holiday.

* St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and lived in the 4th century AD.
* The Shamrock is a good luck symbol that originated in Ireland
* Ireland is called the Emerald Isle, because of its lush, green countryside.
* The Claddagh ring is two hands holding a heart, wearing a crown and means love, friendship and loyalty. It is sometimes used as a wedding ring. The point of the heart should be pointed inward.
* The Blarney Stone is a stone that is said to contain magical powers. If you kiss the Blarney stone you will get good luck.
* The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City in 1762
* St. Patrick was not Irish, but did live in Ireland for more than 20 years.
* The Leprechaun is a legendary wood fairy that is a dwarf man.
* The Leprechaun watches over and protects the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow
* There are no snakes in Ireland because St. Patrick helped send them into the sea where they drowned.
* Until 1970, Irish pubs were forbidden by law to be open on St. Patrick's Day because it was a religious holiday.
* Irish soda bread uses baking soda instead of yeast because baking soda rises better with the Irish ingredients.
* Guinness stout is the most common ale in Ireland. If you go into a pub and ask for a pint you will get Guinness.
* The Gimmal Ring is a traditional three-part Irish wedding ring that is similar to the Claddagh ring. The girl, the suitor and the priest each keep a part until the wedding ceremony, where the ring is completed.
* Green was originally considered to be an unlucky color. It was thought that green was the favorite color of the fairies and that if you wore green a fairy would steal you.
* When preaching, St. Patrick used the Shamrock to show the three parts of the Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
* The Shamrock is also an ancient symbol for the goddess Brigit.
* The Leprechaun carries two pouches. One holds a magic silver coin that if used will be automatically replaced. The other holds a gold coin that the Leprechaun will use to trick you into letting him go. Once he is gone, the gold coin turns to dust.
* St. Patrick's Day was originally called Catholic Feast Day. Eventually it was changed to St. Patrick's Day.
* The flute and the fiddle are two traditional instruments used to play Irish folk songs and tunes.

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