The Feast Day of St. Patrick is celebrated on March 17.
St. Patrick is considered the father of Celtic Christianity. He founded more than three hundred churches, drove the snakes out of Ireland, invented green beer, and coined the popular slogan, Kiss me, I’m Irish (although, he himself was not.)
This year, the Citizenry of Chicago were encouraged to stay home and not drink cheap green beer early and often before St. Patrick’s Day so the Chicago River could be dyed with their vomit. (Many cities around the country, including NYC, are also cancelling their St. Patrick Day festivities.)
I have joked about the dyeing of the river every year but I’ve finally uncovered the story behind it. Turning the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day first began in 1962, one year after Savannah, GA tried to dye their river green but did not succeed. Mayor Richard J. Daley suggested that the city find a way to turn Lake Michigan green for St. Patrick’s Day. According to the Chicago Tribune, the business manager of the Chicago Plumbers Union, Stephen M. Baily came up with the idea of dyeing the river with a solution that was used for identifying pollution and had the happy side effect of creating green streaks.
I’m pretty sure that St. Patrick would be horrified by St. Patrick’s Day.
Demand Euphoria!
The Haus of Dcaligari 