Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Happy St. Patrick's day to all my fellow Irishmen and those who help celebrate!

Facts:

In every year since 1991, March has been proclaimed Irish-American Heritage Month by the US Congress or President due to the date of St. Patrick's Day. Christian denominations in the United States observing his feast day include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Protestant Episcopal Church, and the Roman Catholic Church.^[55] Today, Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike.^[56] For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is both religious and festive.^[57] St. Patrick's Day church services are followed by parades and parties, Irish music, songs, and dances.^[58] It is one of the leading days for consumption of alcohol in the United States, as individuals are allowed to break their Lenten sacrifices for the day in order to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.^[59][60] Many people choose to wear green coloured clothing and items.^[61] Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched affectionately.^[62]
Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges and had the idea to turn the river green for Saint Patrick's Day. Originally 100 pounds of vegetable dye was used to turn the river green for a whole week but now only forty pounds of dye is used and the colour only lasts for several hours.^[18] Indianapolis also dyes its main canal green. Savannah dyes its downtown city fountains green. Missouri University of Science and Technology - St Pat's Board Alumni paint 12 city blocks kelly green with mops before the annual parade.^{[citation needed]} In Jamestown, New York, the Chadakoin River (a small tributary that connects Conewango Creek with its source at Chautauqua Lake) is dyed green each year.
Columbia, SC dyes its fountain green in the area known as Five Points (a popular collegiate location near the University of South Carolina). A two day celebration is held over St Patrick's Day weekend. In Boston, Evacuation Day is celebrated as a public holiday for Suffolk County. While officially commemorating the British departure from Boston, it was made an official holiday after Saint Patrick's Day parades had been occurring in Boston for several decades, and is often believed to have been popularised because of its falling on the same day as Saint Patrick's Day. In the Northeastern United States, peas are traditionally planted on Saint Patrick's Day.