411 Pain Presents: The Truth About St Patrick's Day
Most American's know St Patrick day is "The Wearin' O' The Green". People dress in green and wear leprechaun pins and the like. Flowers are dyed green as is beer, Mc Donald shakes, (Shamrock Shake) and the Chicago River. There are parades and people drink.
But who was St Patrick?
St Patrick was a Roman Britton kidnapped by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and kept in Ireland as a slave.
He was told to flee and he would be returned to Britain. Upon his return, he joined the Church and studied to become a priest.
In 432 he was called back to Ireland and according to Irish folklore, he used the 3 leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish who were then pagan. He died on March 17 461.
411 Pain found that some of the most well know St Patrick's Day events include:The infamous NYC parade - a tradition since 1762
The closest rival parade in Savannah Georgia - a tradition since 1824
the dying green of the Chicago river - a tradition since 1962
Here is 411-Pain's official list of St Patrick Day parade's around the country:
New York City, since 1762
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1771
Morristown, New Jersey, since 1780
Boston, Massachusetts, since 1804
New Orleans, since 1809
Buffalo, New York, since 1811
Savannah, Georgia, since 1824
Carbondale, Pennsylvania, since 1833
New Haven, Connecticut, since 1842
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 1843
Chicago, Illinois, since 1843
Saint Paul, Minnesota, since 1851
San Francisco, since 1852
Scranton, Pennsylvania, since 1862
Cleveland, Ohio, since 1867
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, since 1869
Kansas City, Missouri, since 1873
Butte, Montana, since 1882
Rolla, Missouri, since 1909
Denver, Colorado, since 1963
Pearl River, New York, since 1963
Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1966
Cincinnati, Ohio, since 1967
St. Louis, Missouri, since 1968
Norfolk, Virginia, since 1968
Lexington, Kentucky, since 1980
San Diego, since 1981
Jackson, Mississippi, since 1983
New London, Wisconsin since 1984
Hoboken, New Jersey, since 1986
Wherever you may be and whatever you may do on St Patrick's Day,
411 Pain wishes you the luck o' the Irish!
And remember, PLEASE never drink and drive, never text and drive and always wear your seatbelt!