3 Facts About St. Patrick That Have Me Absolutely Mind Blown

"Ya think you know a guy"

As Timone from the Lion King says when talking about Simba, some people just throw you a curve ball.

St. Patrick. The man, the myth, the legend that we celebrate for an entire day here in America, has a few things about him that will really just blow your mind.

America loves to celebrate and maybe we just started to really cling to some 'traditions' that were fun to do, not because they're exactly the 'St. Patrick's way of doing things'.

Did you know that St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. Not even a little bit, by ancestry standards. His parents were from Italy and they moved to England. So technically, he is not even Irish (it doesn't matter anyway...we are all Irish on St. Patrick's Day, right?) He actually did a missionary trip to Ireland and later became a bishop there, that is why he is 'celebrated' as Irish.
St. Patrick actually wore blue a lot....not green. King George III's creation of the Order of St. Patrick even had the military in Ireland incorporate St. Patrick's blue. When the lucky shamrock idea came about, green became the color.
The first St. Patrick's Day parade wasn't even in Ireland. It was in America. If you ever get the chance, go visit St. Augustine, Florida. That is where the first parade happened, making it the longest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the world (their 4th of July parties are pretty insane as well!)

So, before you go drinking your green beer today, you should know exactly WHY you're drinking green beer!

The Buffalo St. Patrick's Day parade will take place next on March 20, 2022!