Through the sea of green beer, four leaf clovers, parades, and fake leprechaun costumes, it’s clear that St. Paddy’s Day is one of the most highly anticipated and celebrated holidays here in New England. Not only is March 17th a perfect excuse for day drinking, wearing green, and getting a little lucky, but come on, who doesn’t love a clever little man in stockings? We all have a little bit of Irish pride in us somewhere, whether we’re really Irish or just Irish-ish. So whether you’re enjoying a classic Shamrock Shake, Guinness, whiskey, or some good ol’ corned beef and cabbage, here are a few facts to help you celebrate like a true lad.
St. Paddy’s not St. Patty’s
An unmistakable blunder for all those tweeting and posting Facebook statuses about their “favorite holiday”. Feel free to call out any of your friends who say “St. Patty’s Day” rather than “St. Paddy’s”. In fact, Patty is short for Patricia, while Paddy is derived from the Gaelic word Pádraig. Turns out St. Patrick was from Great Britain, anyways….
Made in America?
The celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, was actually deemed as a relatively minor religious holiday until about the 1700s. Immigrants moved to the United States and celebrated their roots, causing the festivities to multiply. The first parade was held in NYC in 1762 during the Revolutionary War as a means of Irish soldiers boosting morale.
St. Patrick’s Day Blue
Although March 17th is a day for green everything and anything, the original color to represent St. Patrick was actually blue. Knights in the Order of St. Patrick originally wore blue to show their allegiance, but as the holiday continued to grow, the infamous green color of Ireland replaced it. Now even the Chicago River is dyed a vibrant shade of Irish green.
The “un”-luck of the Irish
This common saying is actually a sarcastic remark as to how historically unlucky the Irish have been. It was used as a term to describe the sheer “dumb luck” of Irish American miners who struck gold and silver in the gold rush of the 1800s by pure accident, rather than by brain power. But “Luck of the Irish” is still a classic Disney channel movie, regardless.
Claddagh rings
There seems to be a lot of debate as to how to wear these traditional Irish rings, which represent friendship, love, and loyalty. If you are single, the ring should be worn on your right hand with the heart pointing outwards, signifying you are open to finding love. If you are in a relationship, then the heart faces inward, showing your commitment to the person you are dating. Later on when you are engaged or married you should switch the ring to your left hand.
Top o’ the mornin’ to who?
A classic misconception of Americans is that all Irish folk use the term “top o’ the morning” as a way of saying “good morning” or simply “hello”. But anyone from Ireland will sharply respond that none of their fellow countrymen have ever used this phrase. It is unclear where the origin of this widespread myth came from, although many blame the Lucky Charms leprechaun who said it in American television ads in the 1960s.
Well, we can’t all have red hair and freckles, or find the leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but at least you can have the knowledge of a true Irishman. Part of what makes this holiday so great is that everyone embraces all these traditions that seem to have sprouted up anywhere but Ireland itself. So go ahead, celebrate your roots, and may the luck of the Irish be with you!