Keeping Your Smile White on St. Patrick’s Day

People around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day every March 17, the feast day of Ireland’s patron saint. It’s a great time of year to discover more about Irish culture and history. In honor of the holiday, let’s see if you know the answers to these St. Paddy’s Day questions.

*1) St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in which country?

*2) Name the Canadian province that considers March 17 a public holiday.

*3) What colors are found on the Irish flag?

*4) It is widely believed that St. Patrick died on March 17 of what year?

*5) Most people associate St. Patrick with the color green. What was the actual color associated with the patron saint until the 19th century?

*6) What beverage is dyed green in pubs throughout the U.S. every March 17?

*7) Where was the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade?

*8) How many of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were of Irish heritage?

Bonus Question:  Lucky Charms cereal was introduced in 1963 with its spunky mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun. Can you recite the words to his famous rhyme?

Answers:

*1) Ireland

*2) Newfoundland

*3) Green (symbolizing people of the south), orange (symbolizing people of the north), and white (representing peace that brings them together as one nation).

*4) 461 AD

*5) Blue. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the color green entered the picture. It is the color worn by fairies and immortals in Irish legends.

*6) Beer (For many years, if the dye used to turn beer green stained the pearly whites of revelers they were out of luck. Fortunately modern celebrants can whiten their teeth at the dentist’s office – an option not widely available until the 1980s.)

*7) Boston in 1737

*8) Nine

Bonus Question

Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes

Clovers and Blue moons

Pots of gold and rainbows,

And the red balloon

That’s the luck of me lucky charms!

Their magically delicious!

(It may be magically delicious, but make sure you brush your teeth after eating it because it is filled with sugar!)

One more piece of St. Paddy’s Day trivia. You’ve heard the expression “Kiss Me I’m Irish,” but do you know where it comes from? There are a few interpretations, but one of the most popular has to do with the Blarney Stone. It is a s a block of bluestone built into the battlements of  a castle in Ireland. It was believed that kissing the stone brought good luck. If it wasn’t possible to kiss the stone, then the next best thing was to kiss a person of Irish descent.

Speaking of kissing, keep your teeth healthy and breath fresh by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once. And see your dentist a minimum of every six months for an exam and thorough dental cleaning.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!