Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is funny, because as far as I know, no one really knows what it's about. At least there's something associated with Valentine's Day, even if no one knows what St. Valentine did. St. Paddy's day, though, just has this in your face emphasis on wearing green and drinking. So -- here's what St. Patrick's Day is all about!

-St. Patrick, who lived circa 384 - 461 AD, is a patron saint of Ireland. He was a Roman-English born Christian missionary. He was KIDNAPPED by some Irish folks and made a SLAVE for six years!! Then later he went back and taught them about Christianity.
-He is said to have banished all the snakes from Ireland!
-The "wearing of the green"comes from the tradition of wearing a shamrock as a sign of Irish nationalism. Back in the day, Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to pre-Christian Irish people. However, Saint Patrick's traditional color is blue.
-The longest running St. Patrick's Day celebration in the U.S. is held by Boston (go figure), since 1737. Chicago comes in at #8, having celebrated since 1843.