“St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time — a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic.” Adrienne Cook
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, which means we will be seeing lucky green shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots of gold! But did you know that St. Patrick’s Day is an important cultural and religious holiday? Here are a few fun facts about St. Patrick that you might not have known:
- St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but he was born in Britain
- At the age of 14, he was captured and taken to Ireland where he spent 6 years in slavery herding sheep. He returned to Ireland in his 30’s as a missionary among the Celtic pagans
- Legend has it that he used the native shamrock as a symbol of the holy trinity when preaching and brought the Latin alphabet to Ireland
- Wearing green, eating green food, and even drinking green beer is said to commemorate St. Patrick’s use of the shamrock
- In 1737, St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in America in Boston, Massachusetts
- St. Patrick died on March 17th in 431A.D. It is a national holiday in Ireland and on the island of Montserrat, which was founded by Irish refugees
- In Chicago, the river is dyed green for a few hours
- The biggest parade in the USA is in New York, while the largest celebration in the southern hemisphere is in Sydney, Australia
While green may be the “official” color of St. Patrick’s Day, did you know that green can lead to whiter teeth? Green foods, that is…but the green colored beer, green eggs and ham, or pancakes with the green food dye will not help your oral health. But, there are still a lot of delicious options that can put you into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit while keeping your pearly whites sparkling. Here are a few to consider:
- Leafy Greens – The folic acid and minerals prevalent in most leafy green vegetables is not only good for your overall health, but they promote a healthy mouth too by keeping your teeth strong.
- Green Tea – Green tea can get a bad reputation when it comes to whether or not it promotes oral health. But a compound known as polyphenols found in green tea can help prevent bacteria from building up.
- Apples – Grab that green apple! Not only are they delicious, they promote the production of saliva, helping to reduce stains over time.
- Basil –Basil works to reduce the build up of bacteria inside your mouth.
To all of you with Irish ancestry, and to all of you who have decided to be Irish for the day, we at McGann Facial Design wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
