What do you think of when you hear the words St. Patrick’s Day? Likely the words green, beer, and parades come to mind. There’s actually a full history behind that holiday and St. Patrick himself, with lots of interesting facts.

History

St. Patrick’s day celebrates Roman Catholic Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. He wasn’t born in Ireland, but rather Britain. When he was 16 he was taken captive to Ireland as a slave. He escaped and fled to a monastery in France.  Years later he went back to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. Although the religion had already taken hold in the country, he helped it become more widespread. By the time he died, he had created many monasteries, schools and churches. The day of his death, March 17th, has become what we know and celebrate today – St. Patrick’s Day.

The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day started in Ireland. After the Irish immigrants moved to the United States, the celebration really took off with the parades and celebrations that we know today. Both the Irish and the non-Irish participate in the widespread holiday.

Fun Facts

The Shamrock was used by St. Patrick to explain the Trinity and is also Ireland’s national flower/emblem.

Although the color green is now the common color of the holiday, it was not the original one. Blue was traditionally associated with the holiday. It switched because of Ireland’s nickname “The Emerald Isle”, the shamrock and the green in the Irish flag. 

Beer is the mostly widely consumed beverage on St. Patrick’s Day (Big Surprise!), with Guinness being the most popular.

According to a census in 2016, 32.3 million U.S. residence had Irish ancestry which is 7 times the population of Ireland.

You have a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a 4 leaf clover.

Local Events

St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Downtown Coeur d’Alene on Saturday the 16th from 4-5pm

St. Patrick’s Day Splash Bash – Coeur d’Alene Resort Saturday the 16th from 8-11:30pm

St.Patrick’s Day Weekend Celebration – Mirabeau Hotel in Post Falls from the 15th-17th

Coeur d’Irish Party– On March 16th at the Coeur d’Alene Resort from 5:00- 11:30. Featuring traditional Irish music and St. Patricks day Fare.

CDA Firefighter’s Pipes and Drums Pub Crawl– It is on March 16th and starts at 3:00 and goes on till 10:30. We have a schedule posted on our Facebook Profile so you can join in the shenanigans. Or… if you prefer. ↓↓↓

3:00PM – Capone’s
3:30PM – All Things Irish
4:00PM – St. Patrick’s Day Parade
5:00PM – O’Shay’s
5:30PM – Slate Creek
6:00PM – Paragon Brewing
6:30PM – Daft Badger
7:00PM – Capone’s
7:30PM – Coeur d’ Irish
8:00PM – Eagles
8:30PM – Moose Lounge
9:00PM – Crafted
9:30PM – Crickets
10:00PM – The Ironhorse
10:30PM – Beacon

Happy St. Patricks Day and Erin Go Bragh

John & Tracey

Credit: GPB Media, Encyclopedia Britannica, LiveScience, ProFlowers, History