Holidays always seem to bring the world together and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. It’s one day where you are as Irish as an actual Irish person regardless of your race, ethnicity, or creed. However, if wearing green clothes and drinking 15 pints of beer is how you’ve come to recognize yourself as an Irish, then let’s get you up to speed with some St. Patrick’s Day trivia – chances are people with Irish backgrounds will learn a thing or two also. Take a shot of some knowledge courtesy of the video created by A+E Digital Studios.
Some quick facts for your St. Patrick’s Day trivia session:
- Patrick was not Irish. He was born in Britain in 5th CE – which was then part of the Roman Empire.
- He was kidnapped by Irish Raiders and was their captive for 6 years.
- He died on March 17, 451 – hence the reason it’s celebrated on March 17th each year.
- He was not made to be “the Patron Saint of Ireland” centuries after his death – legends and myths gave rise to his posthumous popularity.
- Patrick did not rid Ireland of snakes – Ireland never had any snakes and the ocean around the island is too cold for snakes to migrate there naturally.
- Another myth includes him using the three leaves of shamrock to describe the holy trinity. This lead to people pinning the shamrock on their clothes and eventually just wearing green clothes in his honor; now you know “why green” on St. Patrick’s Day.
- Shamrocks don’t really exist; they are just any three leaf plant. Wood Sorrel and White and Yellow Clover are some examples.
- St. Patrick’s Day traditions like parades and festivals actually started in America; the potato famine in Ireland drove many to migrate here.