March 17th is here, and that means that all around the world people are celebrating St Patrick’s Day. The holiday is usually marked with the wearing of green, a lot of beer drinking, and eating corned beef and cabbage. As always, people have taken to the internet to share their favourite and funniest tweets and memes to mark the day.
What is St Patrick’s Day?
St Patrick’s Day is held on March 17th each year and celebrates the patron saint of Ireland. St Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century before being kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped and returned around 432 CE to convert the Irish to Christianity.
The holiday is celebrated around the world but is particularly big in the United States. Boston held its first St Patrick’s Day parade in 1737, followed by New York City in 1762.
The Chicago River is dyed green for St Patrick’s Day
Another well-known St Patrick’s Day tradition in the US is the annual dying green of the Chicago River.
The dye used to turn the river green was originally an oil-based product, but has since been changed to an orange (ironic, we know) powder with a closely guarded secret formula. The powder is dumped into the river by a motorboat, while another boat stirs the water to spread the powder.
While this is a popular tradition, some people are opposed to it and worry for the wildlife. Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, told NPR:
‘Illinois EPA has never required a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit so there is no way to know what the dye is or whether it is harmless.’