Wearin’ O’ the Green…

Who doesn't LOVE St. Patrick's Day? How many people really know what we're celebrating though? I asked a few people and got some interesting responses, so I went out on the web to look for answers there and here's what I found out:

1) March has been proclaims Irish-American Heritage Month by the Congress or President every year since 1991.
2) It is one of the leading days for consumptions of alcohol in the United States
3) Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their Parade Route green
4) Columbia, SC dyes its fountain green in the area know as Five Points. A two day celebration is held over the weekend.

It's actually the feast day a Patron Saint, as such, it started as a Catholic holiday. It became the official feast day in the 17th century, but has become more of a secular celebration of the Irish culture.

Originally, the color associated with St. Patrick was blue, but over the years, the color green has become THE color of St Patrick's Day. It's interesting to note that the shamrock that is so popular on this day, was used by St. Patrick to explain the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to the "pagan" Irish.

To find out more about St Patrick's Day and the customs and traditions, check out this site: St. Patrick's Day

Wikipedia is also always good for info.

What are you doing to celebrate?