Trivia about St. Patrick's Day, the Irish & Potatoes
Potatoes
The Great Potato
Whether you prefer your potatoes boiled, roasted, baked, mashed, or fried, it's undeniable that the potato is a beloved Irish staple cherished worldwide.
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From a fine fat potato, a tuber, to a plane ‘ol spud.
Here are some pieces of trivia about potatoes!
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We also linked a website with some of our favorite potato recipes at the end of the list.
Potatoes: they're the fourth most highly produced crop worldwide after wheat, corn and rice (Montana.edu)
In Shakespeare’s time the potato was known simply as the “apple of love.” (Montana.edu)
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Vincent Van Gough painted four still-life paintings featuring potatoes. (Montana.edu)
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Thomas Jefferson served french fries in the White House! (Montana.edu)
In the 1890s, during the Alaskan Klondike gold rush, along with citrus, the potato was valued as a preventative against scurvy (vitamins had not yet been discovered, but potatoes happen to be high in vitamin C, a necessary nutrient); for this reason–and because they are so delicious!–potatoes were traded for substantial amounts of gold. (Hudson Valley Seed)
Potatoes are great pollinator plants! Another thing you have to thank bees for! Consider planting potatoes and other Pollinator Attractors to maximize the harvests in your vegetable garden. (Hudson Valley Seed)
The first area of Europe to cultivate it on a wide scale was Ireland in the early 17th century, so that by the 18th century the Irish population exploded, and its people subsisted almost entirely on the crop. (Wikipedia)
By the late 18th century, Sir Frederick Eden wrote that the potato had become "a constant standing dish, at every meal, breakfast excepted, at the tables of the Rich, as well as the Poor." (Wikipedia)
Early colonists in Virginia and the Carolinas may have grown potatoes from seeds or tubers from Spanish ships. Still, the earliest certain potato crop in North America was brought to New Hampshire in 1719 from Derry.[41] The plants were from Ireland, so the crop became known as the "Irish potato". (Wikipedia)
https://www.thedailyspud.com/recipes/
Pubs, restaurants, and bars stock up on potatoes for St. Patrick’s. Why you might ask?
According to our friend, PhD Patricia A O’Gorman…and her article on Substack
“Yes, the Irish, and others, do like potatoes. But the strategic ordering of this food staple for St. Patrick’s Day has nothing to do with an expected new influx of Irish clients for this day—all of whom want to eat potatoes.
It has to do with the sad reality that St. Patrick’s Day has become not just a day of drinking but of celebrating drunkenness.”
NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Each year, the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade draws millions of spectators and participants to celebrate Irish culture and heritage. Dating back to 1762, this iconic event predates the American Revolution, originating as a procession organized by Irish ex-patriates and soldiers in the British Army.
Today, the parade marches up Fifth Avenue from East 44th Street to East 79th Street, featuring a lively display of Irish pride with music, dance, and traditional garb.
Here is some fascinating trivia about one of the world's largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations:
The first parade was held on March 17, 1762, 14 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
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The parade was organized by Irish ex-patriates and Irish soldiers serving in the British Army.
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The parade route runs up Fifth Avenue from East 44th Street to East 79th Street.
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The parade is always escorted by soldiers, a tradition that dates back to the first parade.
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Parade participants enjoyed the freedom to speak Irish, wear green, sing Irish songs, and play the bagpipes. At the time, green was a symbol of Irish pride and was banned in Ireland.
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The parade is held annually on March 17 at 11 AM to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and the Archdiocese of New York.
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Unless St. Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday, the parade is held on March 16. Both Irish-American Protestants and Irish Catholics consider Sunday to be the Lord's Day.
The parade attracts around 2 million spectators and about 150,000 marchers
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Approaching its 14th year of gratefully participating, is the Sober St. Patrick’s Day Troop
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You can march too! Just click here to sign up
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Nestled on Fifth Avenue in the heart of New York City, St. Patrick's Cathedral stands as a beacon of faith and cultural significance.
Beyond its role as a revered place of worship, this architectural marvel plays a central role in the city's vibrant Irish heritage, particularly during the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.
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As a testament to the enduring connection between the cathedral and the celebration of Irish identity, here are some intriguing facts about St. Patrick's Cathedral:
The cathedral's cornerstone was laid in 1858, and it was completed in 1878.
St. Patrick's Cathedral is clad in marble and has several dozen stained glass windows. It measures 332 feet (101 m) long, with a maximum width of 174 feet (53 m) at the transepts. The bronze doors that form the cathedral's main entrance on Fifth Avenue are flanked by towers with spires rising 329.5 feet (100 m).
It is the largest Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in the United States, covering an entire city block. Every year, over five and a half million people are drawn to St.May 20, 2024
St. Patrick's Cathedral underwent a major restoration completed in 2015.
You can Live-Stream into the Cathedral anytime
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You can even light a virtual candle & send up a prayer