St. Patrick’s Day by the Numbers

  • March 17, 2015
  • |
  • Blog

Photo Via Flickr: Chicago River Dyed Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a pint of Guinness at the pub, or a corned beef and cabbage dinner at home, here are some fun facts about March 17th that are sure to impress your family and friends!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Language Services Associates!

  • American’s are expected to spend $4.6 billion on St. Patrick’s Day in 2015.
  • About 34 million Americans have some sort of Irish ancestry.  This is seven times the population of Ireland!
  • More than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the United States each year.  New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.
  • The worlds shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  The parade route is just 98 feet long!
  • 45 pounds of vegetable-based dye is used to turn the Chicago River green for the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
  • There are 16 places in the U.S. named Dublin.
  • 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed worldwide on St. Patrick’s Day.
  • Your odds of finding a four leaf clover are 1 in 10,000.
  • There are 530 calories in a 12-ounce McDonald’s limited-edition green Shamrock Shake.
  • There is a 70 percent increase in cabbage shipments during St. Patrick’s week.
  • St. Patrick’s Day ranks 4th among the most popular drinking days – behind New Year’s Eve, Christmas and Fourth of July.
  • According to the Guinness Book of World records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14.
  • Over 8 million St. Patrick’s Day cards are exchanged in America, making it the ninth-largest card selling occasion in the U.S.