Celebrate Being Irish (or at least wanting to be!)

St. Patrick’s Day 2017

Let’s celebrate being Irish (or at least wanting to be!)

RBI Freelance Copywriter: Heidi

St. Patrick’s Day is here! Time to polish those shoe buckles, dig out Grandma’s famous corned beef and cabbage recipe, and tint the beer green! In honor of our favorite Irish holiday, we’ve rounded up an interesting collection of 17 random facts you probably didn’t know about Saint Patrick’s Day.

About the author:

Heidi is our RBI freelance copywriter, and we are lucky to have her! She specializes in organizational/office shortcuts and tutorials for agents. Her zany sense of humor shows through in her Fun Friday contributions and her hilarious children are favorite visitors at the RBI headquarters.

— Image by Â© CORBIS

Number 1: March 17^th, 461 A.D. is the date Saint Patrick died. St. Patrick’s Day is the Catholic celebration of his admission to heaven. In more recent years, it has been celebrated as a cultural holiday here in the United States. People of every background celebrate by claiming Irish ancestry for the day!

Number 2: Speaking of being Irish, Saint Patrick was not. He was actually born to Roman parents living in modern-day England. More specifically, Scotland or Wales (historians are still debating!)

Number 3: Saint Patrick is credited with driving all snakes out of Ireland. As legend goes, after being attacked by snakes during a 40-day fast, an angry (or perhaps “hangry?”) Saint Patrick chased the slithering serpents into the sea, forever ridding the land of their presence. Never mind the fact that there is zero fossil evidence to prove there ever were any snakes in Ireland- the climate is just too chilly. Most scholars consider “driving out the snakes” to be metaphorical. Regardless- no snakes! We think that sounds like a great place to visit!

Number 4: Why the booze? Saint Patrick’s Day originated as a celebratory feast. In his honor, most Christian churches lift the temporary dietary restrictions imposed by Lent. For that one day, it is permissible and encouraged to gorge and imbibe. And boy, do we ever…

Number 5: It is estimated that 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed worldwide on March 17^th. Approximately $425 million is spent by patrons on alcohol each holiday… and that’s before tipping the bartender. That is a LOT of beer.

Number 6: Despite all the green, Saint Patrick had a different favorite color. Most historical illustrations from that period depict him wearing blue.

Number 7: We hate to break it to you, but your odds of finding a lucky four-leaf clover are about 1 in 10,000.

Number 8: Cabbage, too! Corned beef and cabbage, anyone? Cabbage shipments spike 70% the week before Saint Patrick’s Day. Can’t find Grandma’s recipe? Try this one!

Number 9: Leprechauns are even stranger than you realized. In traditional Irish folklore, there is no such thing as female leprechauns, only males. We’re still trying to wrap our heads around this one…

Number 10: Shamrocks are not the official symbol of Ireland. Where did they come from? Saint Patrick used clovers as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity. They also grow all over the place in Ireland, contributing to the gorgeous green countryside.

Number 11: The harp is Ireland’s official symbol. It can be found on Irish currency, the presidential flag, state seals, uniforms and government documents.

Number 12: Still, marketers love shamrocks. Especially McDonald’s. Each season they bring back their famous Shamrock Shake. It has a cult following, with fan-created websites and mobile apps popping up to help you locate your nearest Shamrock Shake. We’re not kidding.

Number 13: So many calories. A large, 22-ounce McDonald’s Shamrock Shake contains 820 calories. That just about makes up for all the Lent fasting, right?

Number 14: Americans are a bit fanatical about Saint Patrick’s Day. Parades, parties, pub crawls, and green rivers. Yes, that’s right… the Plumbers Local 110 Union actually dyes the Chicago River Check out this incredible time lapse video of 2017’s dye job!

Number 15: Don’t worry, it’s harmless. Although the formula of the river dye is a closely-guarded secret, the formula has been thoroughly tested by independent chemists and has been proven safe for the environment. Phew!

The Plumbers Local 110 Union actually dyes the Chicago River green for St. Paddy’s Day!

Number 16: There are over 34.7 million Americans with Irish ancestry. That is nearly seven times the population of Ireland! You guessed it, Ireland is our nation’s second highest reported nation of origin, ranking only behind Germany.

Number 17: That probably helps explain why there are 16 US towns named after Ireland’s capitol, Dublin. Can’t afford an expensive transatlantic flight? Worry not! You can visit Dublin in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia!

What a journey! Thanks for sticking with us! As always, RB Insurance Group wishes you a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Love St. Paddy’s for the parties? RBI loves parties too! If you want to join in a special party at RB Insurance Group, you should check out our RBI Agent Social! Stop by the office and meet the team or get started contracting here!

A traditional Irish Pub, we’d love to be there on St. Patrick’s Day!