10 fun facts about St Patrick's Day

1, St Patrick wasn't Irish - He was actually born in Roman Britain and was kidnapped by Irish raiders at the age of 16 before later returning as a missionary.

2, His real name wasn't Patrick - His birth name was Maewyn Succat, but he changed it to Patricius after becoming a priest.

3, St Patrick didn't drive snakes out of Ireland - The legend says he banished all snakes, but in reality, Ireland never had any snakes due to its cold climate.

4, The Shamrock connection - St Patrick is said to have used the three leaf clover (shamrock) to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people.

5, Blue was the original colour - St Patrick was historically associated with blue, but green became the symbol of Ireland over time due to its lush landscape and the shamrock connection.

6, Chicago dyes its river green - Every year since 1962, Chicago dyes the river bright green for St Patricks Day using a special dye.

7, It used to be a dry holiday - until the 1970's, Irish pubs were legally closed on St Patricks day because it was considered a religious holiday. That changed when it became a more commercial celebration.

8, The world's first St Patrick's Day parade wasn't in Ireland - The first parade actually took place in New York in 1762.

9, Corned beef and cabbage isn't a traditional Irish dish - It became popular with Irish immigrants in America because corned beef was more affordable than traditional bacon.

10, Millions of pints of Guinness are consumed - On St Patricks day it is estimated that 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide, nearly double the usual daily amount!