Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? Below are some interesting facts about this holiday to share over your green pints.

1. St. Patrick’s Day used to be a dry holiday.¹

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day used to be considered a religious holiday and the nation’s pubs were closed. In 1970, St. Paddy’s day became a national holiday, which is why you can enjoy your Guinness today.

2. Speaking of Guinness,

Approximately 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed during the holiday according to WalletHub’s “St. Patrick’s Day by the Numbers” infographic.²

3. It’s St. Paddy, not St. Patty.

When abbreviating St. Patrick’s name, Paddy is the way to go. “Paddy is derived from the Irish, Pádraig: the source of those mysterious emerald double-Ds.”³

4. It’s not easy being green, unless it’s on St. Patrick’s Day.

On the “Tonight Show” on St. Patrick’s Day 2014, Jimmy Fallon assures Kermit the Frog that the holiday is the easiest day to be green. Kermit agreed.⁴

5. Why the pinching?

Because of leprechauns!⁵ Traditionally, leprechauns run around pinching everyone they can see. When green is worn, you become invisible to leprechauns and so they can’t pinch you.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Wishing you the Luck of the Irish!

References

1. Geico, “15 Delightful Facts About Saint Patrick’s Day,” mental_floss, March 15, 2014, http://mentalfloss.com/article/55599/15-delightful-facts-about-saint-patricks-day

2. John Kiernan, “St. Patrick’s Day 2016 By The Numbers,” WalletHub, Accessed: March 15, 2016, https://wallethub.com/blog/st-patricks-day-statistics/10960/#kathryn-conrad

3. “Paddy not Patty,” Accessed: March 15, 2016, http://paddynotpatty.com/

4. Justin Ray, “WATCH: Fallon, Kermit the Frog Sing Away St. Patrick’s Day,” 4 NBC New York, March 18, 2014, http://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/Jimmy-Fallon-Kermit-the-Frog-St-Patricks-Day-Its-Not-Easy-Bein-Green-250731831.html

5. Erin McCarty, “Why Do You Get Pinched for Not Wearing Green on St. Patrick’s Day?” News Radio 710 KEEL, March 16, 2016, http://710keel.com/why-do-you-get-pinched-for-not-wearing-green-on-st-patricks-day/

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