Busting Some St. Patrick’s Day Myths: Things I Never Knew Before

St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a time when many Americans decide to become Irish for a day. We all know we’re supposed to wear green on this special day. Do you know why? Here are some facts about St. Patrick’s Day and its traditions which you may not know. That’s right, we’re busting St. Paddy’s Day myths and folklore.

Many of us who are not of Irish heritage wear green on St. Patrick’s Day just to fit in. Others wear green so they don’t get pinched. It may be surprising to learn that getting a pinch for not wearing green on St. Paddy’s Day is actually an American tradition. That’s according to an article by Keith O’Hara on TheIrishRoadTrip.com. In fact, the original Irish tradition was to wear blue, not green.

Furthermore, green symbolizes the Catholic faith in Ireland. Wearing orange on St. Patrick’s Day represents those of the Protestant faith. Incidentally, both colors are right there on the Irish flag. Besides the religious symbols, green also represents “The Emerald Isle,” and the color of the shamrock plant.

Here’s another fact that blows my mind. St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish! He was actually born in England. He didn’t move to Ireland until he was 16 according to a different article by Keith O’Hara on TheIrishRoadTrip.com.

And wouldn’t you think St. Patty’s Day celebrations have been going on for centuries in Ireland? Well, according to Mr. O’Hara’s article the first St. Paddy’s Day parade was held in Ireland in 1903. But America’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred in Boston in 1737.

Additionally, you may know the legend about St. Patrick driving all the snakes out of Ireland. O’Hara blows this bit of folklore out of the water. As a matter of fact, there are no snakes in Ireland. The water that surrounds the Emerald Isle apparently prevents them from living and thriving there.

And what about the legendary four-leaf clover? O’Hara’s article explains this legend represents good luck for someone who finds one of these rare plants. However, St. Patrick actually used one of the abundant three-leaf clovers in his religious teachings about the Holy Trinity in the Christian faith.

So, whether you’re of Irish heritage or not, now you’ll know a little bit more about the patron saint of Ireland. Moreover, you’ll also be able to tell your friends some interesting facts about why you’re celebrating and sipping green beer. Sláinte!

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If you're looking for St. Patrick's Day events in Las Vegas that you can do with your family, there are a lot of options for you this year. Yes, we are Vegas, but it's not all about car bombs and pub crawls. From brunch to parades to a murder mystery dinner, you and the kiddos will definitely be able to celebrate the leprechaun. And at local places that aren't on the Strip. We'll call that a lucky bonus.

While we have plenty of Irish pubs around town doing specials for the holiday, we're not including them in this list of events. Yes, those pubs do have areas where you can bring the kids in, but the atmosphere is definitely more conducive to the grown-up types of celebrations. So, we're going to leave those out.

If you do want to introduce your kid to an authentic Irish pub, my recommendation is McMullan's. It's off the Strip, right by the Orleans. It's got traditional Irish food. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore. And the whole place, besides the actual bar, is open to kiddos. They're open 24/7 and don't require reservations.

For the same kid-friendly reason, we won't go into detail about the Shamrock Bash going on at Fremont Street Experience. Another place that kids technically can go, but it's going to be a whole lot of crazy down there over St. Patrick's Day weekend with lots of drink specials for the adults. At least once the sun sets. However, there are some things that the kids will enjoy during the day, like the Firefighters Parade (March 17 at noon) and challenge games (March 17 at 1:00). If you do plan to take your kids downtown, here's some info about the event.

Both of these options are stellar if you want your family really immersed in the Irish theme for the holiday. Just keep in mind there will be shenanigans. As there always is wherever the liquor is flowing.

If you want a more mild, family friendly atmosphere for your kiddos on St. Patrick's Day, here are some fun things happening around town the kids will love.

This is my top pick for family fun on St. Patrick's Day. It's the 56th annual Southern Nevada Sons & Daughters of Erin St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival. Happening Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17 on Water Street in Henderson. There will be a parade on Saturday from 10 a.m. - noon. A car show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. A carnival all three days with amusement rides and games. Food, authentic Irish entertainment (Darby O'Gill, Young Dubliners, Craic Bhoys), Irish Whiskey tastings and more. It's all ages and free to attend. Here's the full program, including schedules, maps and more.

One very unique event for St. Patrick's Day that your family will love is at Lawry's The Prime Rib in Las Vegas. It's a Whodunit dinner event that includes three courses of Lawry's unbelievable food. The dishes include their famous spinning salad, a choice of three main dishes (prime rib, salmon, vegetarian entrée of the day) with accompanying sides, and a choice of dessert.

During dinner, guests will be walked through a musical comedy crime show to see if they can solve the mystery. The price is $130 per person, and dinner starts at 7 p.m. exclusively on Sunday, March 17. You can make your reservations at atouchofmystery.com.

Lawry's is located at 4043 Howard Hughes Parkway in Las Vegas.

On Sunday, March 17, you can take the family on a quick trip to Boulder City for their annual St. Patrick's Day Run. It kicks off on the Historic Railroad Trail at 6 a.m. You can run from 5K to half a marathon on a trail with amazing views of Lake Mead. Or take a leisurely one mile stroll with the family. The cost starts at $35 per person. Make sure you dress everyone in your St. Patty's Day accessories or at least wear green so you don't get pinched! Get more info and register here.

Another unique event for St. Patrick's Day is the Pot O' Gold at the Henderson Multigenerational Pool. Exclusively for the kiddos and very affordable, this is taking place only on Friday, March 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. For only a $5 registration, kids will be able to look for the Leprechaun's lost gold that he misplaced in the pool. There will be other St. Patty's fun as well. Located at 250 S. Green Valley Pkwy. You can register here.

We have a couple of restaurants adding some fun St. Patty's Day twists on the traditional brunch. The one that would be fun for the kiddos is at La Neta Cocina in Summerlin. They're doing some green dishes, including green eggs and churrasco, and Trash Chilies. Or my favorite pick for the littles: green pancakes with lucky charms!

Plus, if mom and dad want to do a little indulging, there are lots of Irish-inspired cocktails, including bottomless green mimosas and green beer, Irish Mules and green tea shots.

La Neta is located at 1770 Festival Plaza Dr. Suite 200 in Summerlin. Brunch is on Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

**NOTE** There is a dress code that is strictly enforced, even at brunch. They call it "upscale fashionable" and request no workout attire or backwards caps. Also no pool attire, tank tops or sleeveless shirts.

Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

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