10 things you didn't know about St. Patrick's Day
Every year on March 17, the world becomes a little greener. St. Patrick's Day is not just an Irish tradition – it's a global party day where people from New York to Tokyo gather to celebrate everything that has to do with Ireland.
But what exactly lies behind the iconic day? EF Denmark has collected 10 fun facts about St. Patrick's Day.
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A holy man with a dramatic story St. Patrick is Ireland's most famous guardian angel, but he was actually neither Irish nor was Patrick. He was born in Britain as Maewyn Succat, was abducted and sold to slavery in Ireland, fled and later returned as a priest to spread Christianity.
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A religious public holiday that became a party day Ireland first made St. Patrick's Day for an official holiday in 1903, but originally it was a quiet and religious day. Only in the 1960s were pubs allowed to stay open – and then the festivities took off.
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The snakes – myth or reality? The legend says that St. Patrick freed Ireland for snakes. But according to biologists, there have never been snakes on the island. Most likely, the snakes symbolize the ancient pagan traditions, which were pushed aside by Christianity.
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The green wave Green is the color that dominates on St. Patrick's Day – everything from clothes to beer and even rivers are colored green. Funny enough, St. Patrick's own favorite color actually blue.
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The clover as a religious symbol According to the myth, St. Patrick the three -leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It made the clover a symbol of luck and Irish identity.
