It's going to be a beautiful weekend here in West Michigan, especially if you're a college basketball fan who's got a little Irish ancestry (or even if you don't ). Here are some fun facts about St. Patrick's Day you can impress everyone at the bar with:
- About 31 million Americans claim to have Irish ancestry, about 7x the population of Ireland!
- 60% of Americans plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
- 1737- Year of the 1st St. Patrick's Day Parade, held in Boston not Ireland
- 45lbs of dye is used to turn the Chicago River Green, it lasts for about 5 hours.
- About $5.9 billion dollars will be spent on St. Patrick's Day in 2018, roughly $40 by each party goer.
- 27% plan to celebrate at a bar or restaurant.
- 83% of those celebrating plan to wear green.
- St. Patrick's Day is the fourth most popular drinking holiday. New Year’s Eve is 1st, Christmas is 2nd, and July 4th is 3rd.
- 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed.
- There's an 819% increase in Guinness consumption on St. Patrick's Day
- 31% of Americans plan to cook a special dinner.
- There's a 70% increase in cabbage shipments during St. Patrick’s Day week.
- Boston is the most Irish-American city in the U.S. with 20.4% reporting Irish ancestry.
- There are 16 towns named Dublin in the U.S.
Some not so fun St. Patrick's Day Facts:
- 60 people were killed in drunk-driving accidents on St. Patrick's Day in 2016
- 36min - The rate at which alcohol related car crashes claim a life on St. Patrick's Day
- 75% of fatal St. Patrick's Day car crashes involve a driver who's consumed at least 2x the legal limit
- 36% of pedestrians killed on St. Patrick's Day in 2016 had a blood alcohol level above .08
Here's one more fact for you:
- $1211 - Cost of an Uber ride from Boston, MA to Dublin, OH compared to up to $24,000 for a DUI.
Moral of the story: Wear green, have fun, enjoy some green beer if you want, but DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.
Happy St. Patrick's Day - Cheers!
More info and source HERE