We’ve created this list of the best 50 stats about St. Patrick’s Day !
This article contains over 50 of the best stats about St. Patrick’s Day, stats for kids, plus more about what St. Patrick’s Day Is, It’s History, and much more!
Table of Contents
- Stats About St. Patrick’s Day
- Stats About St. Patrick’s Day for Kids
- About St. Patrick’s Day
- St. Patrick’s Day History
- Other Interesting Things About St. Patrick’s Day
Stats About St. Patrick’s Day – 50 Stats
Here are 50 stats about St. Patrick’s Day:
- St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th every year, which is the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
- St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland, and it is also widely celebrated in other parts of the world, especially in the United States.
- It is estimated that more than 33 million Americans have Irish ancestry, which is almost seven times the population of Ireland itself.
- St. Patrick’s Day is the fourth most popular drinking day in the United States, after New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and the Fourth of July.
- In the United States, more than 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patrick’s Day, which is more than double the amount consumed on an average day.
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762, and it is now one of the largest parades in the world, with over 2 million people attending each year.
- Chicago dyes its river green every year to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The tradition started in 1962 and has become a popular tourist attraction.
- According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent an estimated $5.6 billion on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in 2020, including food, drinks, decorations, and clothing.
- In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was a dry holiday until 1970, meaning that all pubs and bars were closed on that day. However, this law was eventually repealed due to popular demand.
- The city of Dublin, Ireland, hosts a St. Patrick’s Day festival that lasts for several days and includes a parade, music, dance, theater, and other cultural events. The festival attracts more than 500,000 visitors from around the world each year.
- St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, and he is also known for driving the snakes out of Ireland. However, it is unlikely that there were ever any snakes in Ireland, and this is considered a myth.
- The original color associated with St. Patrick was blue, not green. However, over time, green became the more popular color, and it is now closely associated with the holiday.
- Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish in the United States, but it is not actually a traditional Irish meal. In Ireland, a more common St. Patrick’s Day meal would be lamb stew or bacon and cabbage.
- The shamrock, a three-leafed clover, is a popular symbol of St. Patrick’s Day. According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the people of Ireland.
- St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in the United States since the early 18th century, but it did not become a major holiday until the mid-19th century, when Irish immigrants began to celebrate their heritage in a more public way.
- In addition to the New York City parade, there are St. Patrick’s Day parades held in many cities around the world, including Dublin, Boston, Chicago, Sydney, and Tokyo.
- St. Patrick’s Day is not just a celebration of Irish heritage; it has also become a celebration of all things Irish. Many people who are not of Irish descent still enjoy the holiday and participate in its traditions.
- In addition to parades and parties, many people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green, decorating their homes and offices with Irish-themed decorations, and listening to traditional Irish music.
- The phrase “the luck of the Irish” is often associated with St. Patrick’s Day, but its origins are unclear. Some believe that it was originally meant as a sarcastic remark about the many hardships that the Irish people have faced throughout history.
- St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate Irish culture and heritage, but it is also a time to reflect on the contributions that Irish immigrants have made to the United States and other countries around the world.
- In 2020, it was estimated that Americans spent $5.6 billion on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, with an average expenditure of $40 per person.
- According to the National Retail Federation, the most popular St. Patrick’s Day purchases are food (52%), beverages (41%), decorations (28%), and clothing (22%).
- In 2019, the United States imported $424 million worth of Guinness beer from Ireland in the month of February, in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day.
- The city of Boston, Massachusetts, is known for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, including its famous parade. In 2019, the Boston parade had an estimated attendance of 1 million people.
- In Chicago, Illinois, the Chicago River is dyed green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. It takes approximately 45 minutes and 40 pounds of environmentally-friendly vegetable dye to turn the river green.
- According to the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers, the organization responsible for dyeing the river, the dye used is a secret recipe and has been used since 1962.
- In 2018, the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade had an estimated 150,000 marchers and 2 million spectators.
- In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday and is celebrated with parades, festivals, and other events throughout the country. In 2019, the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day festival had an estimated attendance of 500,000 people.
- According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, the first St. Patrick’s Day international ice hockey tournament was held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2018, with teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland competing.
- The United States Postal Service issues a special St. Patrick’s Day stamp each year. In 2021, the stamp featured a stylized shamrock design with the words “Forever” and “USA” in green and white
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were approximately 32.3 million people of Irish ancestry in the United States in 2019, which is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.
- In 2020, the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland, held in Dublin, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parade typically draws more than 500,000 spectators and participants.
- In 2019, approximately 149 million people in the United States celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation.
- According to a survey by WalletHub, in 2021, the city of Tampa, Florida, ranked as the best city in the United States for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, based on factors such as weather, safety, and cost.
- The city of Savannah, Georgia, is known for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, including a parade and other events. In 2019, the Savannah parade had an estimated attendance of 500,000 people.
- According to the Irish Tourist Board, the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, are a popular destination for St. Patrick’s Day visitors, with more than 1 million people visiting the site each year.
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37 people were killed in drunk driving crashes on St. Patrick’s Day in the United States between 2016 and 2020.
- In 2019, the Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in green for St. Patrick’s Day.
- The tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day began in 1962, when members of the local plumbers union poured green dye into the river to trace illegal sewage discharges. The tradition stuck, and it is now an annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition.
- According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, the most popular St. Patrick’s Day activities in the United States include wearing green (83%), attending a party (30%), and decorating one’s home or office (23%).
- In 2019, the Irish beer company Guinness sold more than 13 million pints of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day around the world.
- According to the National Retail Federation, St. Patrick’s Day is the fourth-largest drinking day in the United States, after New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and the Fourth of July.
- In 2019, the top St. Patrick’s Day destinations in the United States, according to WalletHub, were Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Tampa.
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 2012 and 2016, 269 people were killed in drunk driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (which runs from 6 p.m. on March 16 to 5:59 a.m. on March 18).
- In 2019, the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade featured more than 200 marching bands and 150,000 marchers.
- According to the National Retail Federation, the most popular St. Patrick’s Day foods in the United States include corned beef and cabbage (30%), Irish soda bread (22%), and shepherd’s pie (18%).
- In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the world. In Ireland, for example, pubs and restaurants were closed due to lockdown restrictions, and the traditional St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin was cancelled for the second year in a row.
- According to a survey by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, requests for green tattoos tend to increase around St. Patrick’s Day.
- In 2019, the city of Dublin, Ohio, held a St. Patrick’s Day parade that featured more than 150 floats and 20 marching bands.
- In 2018, a man in Dublin, Ireland, set a new world record for “fastest marathon dressed as a leprechaun,” completing the race in just over three hours.
Stats About St. Patrick’s Day – 10 Fun Facts and Stats for Kids
Here are 10 stats and facts about St. Patrick’s Day that kids might enjoy:
- St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th every year.
- The color green is associated with St. Patrick’s Day because it represents Ireland’s lush green landscape.
- The shamrock is a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because it is said that St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people.
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762.
- According to legend, leprechauns are mischievous Irish fairies who are known for their gold and their love of practical jokes.
- Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish in the United States.
- The Chicago River is dyed green every year for St. Patrick’s Day.
- The Irish flag has three colors: green, white, and orange. The green represents the Irish landscape, the white represents peace, and the orange represents Irish Protestants.
- The Blarney Stone is a famous stone in Ireland that is said to give people the gift of gab (the ability to speak well).
- St. Patrick’s Day parades are held in many cities around the world, including Dublin, New York City, and Boston.
Stats About St. Patrick’s Day – About St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday that is celebrated on March 17th every year. It is named after Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary who lived in the 5th century and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland, and it is also celebrated in many other parts of the world, particularly in countries with large Irish communities. The holiday is often associated with Irish culture, including wearing green, parades, music, and traditional foods like corned beef and cabbage.
Stats About St. Patrick’s Day – History
The history of St. Patrick’s Day dates back to the 5th century when Saint Patrick, a Christian missionary, is said to have brought Christianity to Ireland. According to legend, St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. St. Patrick’s Day was originally a religious holiday in Ireland, commemorating the death of St. Patrick on March 17th.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762, organized by Irish soldiers who were serving in the British army. In the years that followed, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations grew in popularity among Irish immigrants in the United States. By the mid-19th century, St. Patrick’s Day had become a major holiday in the United States, with parades, feasts, and other festivities held in cities and towns across the country.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day remained primarily a religious holiday until the 20th century. In the 1920s, the Irish government began to promote St. Patrick’s Day as a way to showcase Irish culture and heritage to the world. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland, and it is also celebrated in many other parts of the world, particularly in countries with large Irish communities.
St. Patrick’s Day is often associated with Irish culture, including wearing green, parades, music, and traditional foods like corned beef and cabbage. It is also a day for celebrating Irish heritage and pride.
Stats About St. Patrick’s Day – Largest Celebrations Around the World
Here are some stats about St. Patrick’s Day’s largest celebrations around the world by city:
- Dublin, Ireland: Dublin hosts the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world, with more than 500,000 people attending the festivities each year.
- New York City, United States: The St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City is one of the oldest and largest in the world, attracting more than 2 million spectators each year.
- Chicago, United States: Chicago is famous for its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and the dyeing of the Chicago River, which is turned green in honor of the holiday.
- Boston, United States: Boston is home to the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the United States, and the city continues to host one of the largest and most festive celebrations each year.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina: Buenos Aires has one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in South America, with a parade, street fair, and live music performances.
- Montreal, Canada: Montreal is home to the longest-running St. Patrick’s Day parade in Canada, and the city’s celebrations include live music, Irish dancing, and a traditional Irish breakfast.
- Sydney, Australia: Sydney hosts one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the southern hemisphere, with a parade that winds through the city’s historic district and culminates in a massive street party.
- London, United Kingdom: London’s St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place in Trafalgar Square and features Irish dance performances, live music, and food and drink vendors.
- Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in Asia, with a procession of floats and performers winding through the streets of the city’s Harajuku district.
- Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations include a parade, live music, and food and drink vendors, and the city’s Sky Tower is lit up in green in honor of the holiday.
Also, check out this extensive collection of St. Patrick’s Day Fun facts and St. Patrick’s Day Riddles and St. Patrick’s Day Illusions