Show off your shamrock trivia skills with these 7 lesser-known St. Paddy’s Day fun facts:
- The color of St. Patrick’s Day originally was blue.
2. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in America — not Ireland — in 1601 on the site of present-day St. Augustine, Florida.
3. The world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with a route of a mere 98 feet. Participants have included Irish Elvises and the San Diego Chicken.
4. Up until the 1970s, pubs in Ireland were closed on St. Patrick’s Day except for one place – a national dog show that was held on March 17 every year.
5. Green beer is synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day, but the invention is purely American.
6. Patrick wasn’t Irish — he was born to Roman parents in Britain. He died on March 17 in 461, but no one is sure where he is buried.
7. The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are about 1 in 10,000. But if you find one on St. Patrick’s Day, it doubles your luck.
