Are These St. Patrick’s Day Traditions Irish or Not?

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Here in the Jakusz house, we’re all wearing green, rockin’ some shamrocks, and cooking up a corned beef dinner to enjoy with my Irish beer! Now, are these common traditions Irish or not? The answers might surprise you!

1. Wearing green. The whole “wear green or risk getting pinched” thing likely began in America. And going beyond that, St. Patrick himself was originally associated with the color BLUE.

2. Drinking beer . . . especially green beer. Drinking in bars and pubs on St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t even allowed in Ireland until the 1970s. And green beer is believed to have been invented in New York City in the early 1900s.

3. Corned beef and cabbage. Again, it’s an American thing. In Ireland, it’s more common to eat lamb, ham, or bacon, instead of corned beef.

4. Saint Patrick himself. While it’s true St. Patrick is the primary patron saint of Ireland, he was actually British, as Leslie Harris points out in this scathing St. Patrick exposé.

Do I care that they are not authentically Irish and more American in nature? Hell no! I’m Polish! It’s all in good fun!