St Patrick’s Day 2013: Shamrocks, Green Beer, other Fun Irish Facts, Trivia in Celebration of Feast of Saint Patrick, March 17

It's St. Patrick's Day weekend 2013 - time for the corn beef and cabbage, green beer, and devilish leprechauns! In honor of this year's Feast of Saint Patrick (celebrated on Sunday, March 17) here are some fun facts, trivia, and history about the Irish-inspired holiday. Happy St. Patty's day from Mstars!

The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.

Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

St. Patrick was actually of Scottish descent, not Irish, and contrary to popular folklore he never chased any snakes out of Ireland.

Many people wear green on this holiday to avoid being pinched.

Over 8 million St. Patrick's Day cards are exchanged in America making today the ninth-largest card selling occasion in the US.

The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.

Since 1962, the Chicago River has been dyed green in honor of the day.

Corned beef is strictly an American invention, the Irish don't actually eat it to celebrate the day.

34.5 million U.S residents claim Irish ancestry, that is 9 times the current population of Ireland.

The phrase, "Drowning The Shamrock" is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.

The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000 year lease.

On average, every American consumes 22 gallons of beer per year.

New York is said to have the world's biggest St Patrick's Day parade and celebration, with 150,000 in the parade and an audience of about 3 million.

Most people attend mass in the morning and then attend the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Shamrocks symbolize the day; St Patrick used them to explain how the father, son and Holy Spirit were connected. They are also Ireland's national flo