What's your St. Patrick's Day I.Q.: fun facts about St. Patrick's Day
We all celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but how much do we really know about the holiday?
Find out your St. Patrick's Day I.Q. with this quick quiz of fun facts about March 17th.
1. St. Patrick was not Irish. In what region was he born?
a. Germany
b. France
c. Roman Britain
d. Spain
2. What is the color associated with St. Patrick?
a. green
b. blue
c. orange
d. white
3. Where did the first parade held to honor St. Patrick's Day take place?
a. Belfast
b. Dublin
c. Boston
d. New York
4. What was St. Patrick's original Roman name?
a. Patricus
b. Petrus
c. Patricius
d. Patricio
5. To what custom does "Drowning the Shamrock" refer?
a. drinking until unable to stand
b. bobbing for green apples between whiskey shots
c. dunking a young lad in a vat of beer
d. floating a shamrock on top of whiskey then drinking it
POINTS + ANSWERS
1. If you answered 'C,' Roman Britain, you get 2 points.
All other responses 0 points.
"The man whom the holiday honors was born in Britain to Roman parents in the third century. As a teenager, he was kidnapped and spirited away to Ireland, where he was enslaved and forced to work as a shepherd for seven years." (CS Monitor, Five fun facts for St. Patrick's Day)
2. If you answered 'B,' blue, you get 2 points.
All other responses 0 points. (St. Patrick's Day Fun Facts)
3. If you answered 'D,' New York, you get 2 points.
All other responses get 0 points. "St. Patrick's Day is said to have been first celebrated on March 17, 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the Irish military in New York City." (History.com, St. Patricks' Day)
4. If you answered 'C,' Patricius, you get 2 points.
All other responses get 0 points. St. Patrick entered Christianity under the bishop of Auxerre, taking on the Roman name Patricius from which Patrice, Patricia and Patricio are also derived.
5. If you answered 'D,' floating a shamrock in whiskey, you get 2 points.
All other responses get 0 points. "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." (St. Patrick's Day Fun Facts)
SCORE:
10 POINTS - You really know your stuff - a Guinness on us next time we meet!
8 POINTS - You know your St. Paddy's day facts - we raise our glasses to you!
6 POINTS - You've dabbled in St. Patrick's Day trivia - a tip o' the hat to you. ;)
4 POINTS - You've gathered bits of knowledge about March 17th - next year you'll have the highest St. Patrick's Day I.Q. at the pub
2 POINTS - You definitely need to brush up on your St. Patrick's Day trivia - we suggest a trip to Ireland or at least a real Irish pub. ;)