Happy Saint Patrick's Day
March 17, 2018 is Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick. It is a culturally religious celebration that is held on the day the patron saint of Ireland's death.
Below are facts about this widely celebrated day that you may not know:
Irish immigrants began observing the holiday in Boston in 1737 and the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1766.
Saint Patrick was British, not Irish. He was born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales in the late fourth century.
Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans. There are 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every lucky four leaf clover, which is why they are lucky. Four leaf clover are said to stand for faith, hope, love and luck.
The American tradition of eating corned beef on St. Patrick's Day likely originates from the fact that Irish immigrants to the U.S. were able to get cheaper corned beef in their new country. The traditional Irish St. Patrick's Day meal uses pork rather than beef. In most cases, Irish immigrants to America would have been unable to afford beef in Ireland and, seeing it as a luxury, were likely drawn to it thanks to its low price and wide availability in the U.S.
Even though Saint Patrick's Day used to be a dry holiday, millions of pints of beer are consumed on Saint Patrick's Day, amounting to more than $245 million.
Leprechauns earned their gold guarding. According to legend, leprechauns spend their days making and mending shoes. It is hard work, so you cannot blame them for being territorial about their pots of gold.
There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. This is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.
Sustained Quality Group wishes you a safe holiday and, "for each petal on the shamrock, good health, good luck and happiness for today and every day".
