Slainte! 8 St. Patrick’s Day Tales and Traditions

St. Patrick was not even Irish. The country's patron saint was born to an aristocratic Christian British family during the fourth century. When he was 16, he was kidnapped and enslaved in Ireland. After escaping from slavery, he reunited with his family in Britain. Later in life, he converted Ireland to Christianity, earning ... his role in the nation's religious lore.

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While Leprechauns definitely play a big role in Irish mythology, the cheery little green man is an Americanization. According to Irish lore, leprechauns are nasty, brutish and indeed, short.

While explaining Christianity to Ireland, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity. The shamrock's three leaves were connected like the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The shamrock is now a national symbol. Act fast if you want to wear a real shamrock this year, as the country's natural stock is diminishing.

Leave it to 18th century American revolutionaries to turn a minor Irish religious holiday into one the biggest cultural celebrations in the new world. Irish immigrants amplified the holiday in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago both to honor their patron saint and to express cultural solidarity. By the 1970s, the ... Ireland Irish caught on that the Americans were having more fun, mimicking their day of revelry. NewsFeed hears they make a pretty penny on tourism as well.

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Each year on St. Patrick's Day, the world consumes 13 million pints of Guinness, more than double any other day of the year. The classic brew may be the most embraced aspect of Irish culture brought to the U.S. by its early immigrants. But hey, we're not complaining.

While the photo above may look like a scene out of Willy Wonka, it's actually one of the world's most famous St. Paddy's celebrations. Beginning in 1962, the city of Chicago has dyed a portion of the Chicago River green each year to celebrate the Irish holiday. As cool as the neon river looks, it seems kind of traumatic for the ... river's fish.

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Before the green and white bucket hats and plastic shamrock beads, the first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade occurred in 1766 in New York, when the local militia marched to all the leading Irish households in the town. Rain or shine, the parade has gone on with few exceptions ever since. Today, cities around the world — ... including in Ireland — hold celebratory parades.

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If you're looking for a classic St. Patrick's Day meal, look no further than the classic corned beef and cabbage. Many people argue that the combo is a New World concoction, not reflecting any Irish culinary tradition. NewsFeed would believe that the bar version of the holiday staple, no doubt accompanied by a Guinness, is a ... butchering of any cultural cuisine.

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