17 Pieces of St. Patrick's Day Trivia

We've compiled St. Patrick's Day trivia for you to share with your residents while you celebrate today! We figured 17 was a good number of tidbits to share since the holiday falls on March 17. Enjoy!

1. "Erin go bragh" translates to "Ireland forever" 
2. The first St. Patrick's day parade wasn't actually in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737. The first parade in Dublin didn't happen until 1931! 
3. Chicago dyes the Chicago River green in honor of St. Patrick's Day (click here to watch a time-lapse video of the river being dyed). The tradition began in 1962. 
4. St. Patrick's given name at birth was Maewyn Succat. 
5. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 because St. Patrick died on this date in 461 A.D. 
6. St. Patrick was born in Wales, not Ireland. 
7. Even though the color green is associated with St. Patrick's Day, the Order of St. Patrick, established in 1783, chose blue as its color because dark green was already taken. 
8. Of the 313.9 million residents of the United States, 34.1 million claim Irish ancestry. Ireland is second only to German in claimed ancestry. 
9. The shamrock, which is commonly associated with St. Patrick's Day, has three leaves. Legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity during his teachings. 
10. According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans will spend roughly $4.8 billion celebrating St. Patrick's Day in 2014 (this includes everything from beer to corned beef to shirts with clovers on them). 
11. The shortest St. Patrick's Day parade is held each year in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It clocks in at a whopping 98 feet. 
12. According to superstition, people who wear green on St. Patrick's Day are invisible to sneaky leprechauns. 
13. Until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. 
14. Because St. Patrick's Day falls during Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate during the afternoon. 
15. Although legend has it that St. Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland, there is no evidence that snakes ever existed in Ireland. Scholars suggest that the term "snakes" might be figurative and refer to pagan religious beliefs. 
16. It is estimated that 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide on St. Patrick's Day. 
17. St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland, Labrador and Montserrat.