A popular online video claims to outline how St Patrick’s Day was actually invented in America rather than Ireland.
The video – from the US Embassy Dublin – lists five ways of celebrating the feast day for Ireland’s Patron Saint that were started in the USA.
1 – Parades
2 – Turning things green
3 – Marching bands
4 – Eating corned beef and cabbage
5 – Keys to the White House
Could it be true that Ireland’s national day was ‘invented’ by Americans?
Of course St Patrick lived nearly 1,000 years before America was discovered and even longer before the USA became a country.
He was said to be a hugely influential figure in Irish society, bringing Christianity to the country.
However, the first recorded St Patrick’s Day actually took place in America, and it is the Americans who have shaped many of the ways that the Patron Saint’s day is celebrated all over the world – including Ireland.
The video is informative and is also peppered with witty comments from members of the Irish public who were unaware of the origins of some of the key traditions.
Tale a look below.
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Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling