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St. Patrick’s Day!

See how much you know about the patron saint of Ireland and the traditions surrounding his special day. Erin go Bragh!

1. St. Patrick’s Day celebrates which of the following events?
   • The day St. Patrick was born
   • The day St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland
   • The day St. Patrick died
   • The day St. Patrick was martyred

   The day St. Patrick died

   Patrick died on March 17 in AD 461. Although it has never been proved, it is said that he is buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, alongside St. Brigid and St. Columbia.

2. Which city was the first to officially celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the United States?
   • New York
   • Boston
   • Washington, D.C.
   • Philadelphia

   New York

   The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City was held on March 17, 1762—14 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

3. Which U.S. city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by dyeing their river green?
   • New York
   • Minneapolis
   • Cedar Rapids
   • Chicago

   Chicago

   The tradition began in 1962 when Business Manager of the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Local Union #110, Stephen Bailey, saw a plumber whose white overalls had been dyed green—the perfect shade of green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It turned out that the green came from a special dye that plumbers used to detect leaks; the dye starts out orange but turns “Emerald Isle green” at the presence of a leak. Bailey got the idea to use the dye in the river, and a tradition was born.

4. According to legend, what should you never do if you catch a leprechaun?
   • Kiss him
   • Let him out of your sight
   • Get him wet
   • Give him money

   Let him out of your sight

   Leprechauns avoid humans because they think they are foolish and greedy; however, if you catch one, he will promise you all of his gold to let him go free. But they are quick and cunning, so if you lose sight of him for even a second he will be gone, and all chances of your getting his pot of gold will disappear.

5. What is a leprechaun’s profession?
   • Blacksmith
   • Jeweler
   • Goldsmith
   • Cobbler

   Cobbler

   When not making mischief, leprechauns spend all of their time making and mending shoes, and hiding their gold in pots of gold at the end of the rainbow.

6. Where was St. Patrick born?
   • Britain
   • Scotland
   • Ireland
   • Wales

   Britain

   Patrick was born in Roman Britain at Banna Venta Berniae, now known as Ravenglass, Cumbria, in Northwest England.

7. What is cured by kissing the Blarney Stone?
   • Bad luck
   • Illness
   • Warts
   • Shyness

   Shyness

   According to legend, kissing the Blarney stone will endow the kisser with the gift of gab, hence the reason the word blarney has come to mean “clever, flattering, or coaxing talk.”

8. Where is the Blarney Stone housed?
   • In a church
   • In a castle
   • In a cave
   • On a mountain

   In a castle

   The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. The castle is located about five miles from Cork, in Ireland.

9. What color was originally associated with St. Patrick?
   • Blue
   • Red
   • Orange
   • Purple

   Blue

   “St. Patrick’s Blue” comprises various shades of sky blue, and is thought to have been reminiscent of the woad-stain that Celts traditionally used. It wasn’t until 1681 that green became associated with Patrick, when Thomas Dinely reported people wearing crosses of green on the holiday.

10. What do you get if you don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?
    • A kiss
    • A slap
    • A shamrock
    • A pinch

    A pinch

    This rule only applies in the United States. The phrase “the wearing of the green,” meaning to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing, derives from a song of the same name.