10 Things You May Not Know About St. Patrick's Day

10 Things You May Not Know About St.

Patrick's Day.

1.

The shortest St.

Patrick's Day parade only runs for 98 feet and takes place in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

2.

Saint Patrick’s birth name was actually Maewyn Succat.

He changed it to Patricius after becoming a priest.

3.

Shamrocks are said to have been used by Saint Patrick as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity.

4.

Corned beef doesn’t actually contain corn.

It's name come from the use of salt "corns" to cure meat.

5.

Saint Patrick famously wore a light shade of blue, not the traditional green that is constantly seen.

6.

Green became a significant color for Ireland during its 1641 rebellion.

Its importance then carried over to St.

Patrick’s Day.

7.

St.

Patrick’s Day used to be a strictly religious and alcohol-free holiday in Ireland.

8.

Saint Patrick wasn't actually Irish.

He was born in Britain and kidnapped by Irish pirates at a young age.

9.

In traditional Irish folk tales, female leprechauns don’t exist.

10.

The U.S. has 32 million people of Irish descent, while Ireland’s total population is only 4.7 million