Host a St. Patrick's Day Trivia Night With These Fun Facts

Saint Patrick was not born in Ireland. The color originally associated with St. Patrick was not green. "What?!" you might be thinking. Not to fear. Here we have all the St. Patrick's Day trivia you need to know as March 17 approaches this year.

These fun quiz questions cover everything from leprechauns to names for Ireland to a green river and are sure to entertain friends and family with St. Patrick's Day history as you drink green beer and setup pot-of-gold-themed crafts for the kids. There's no multiple choice involved in this set of trivia, but they are printable if you want to pass them around paper.

As you start planning out tasty Irish-inspired recipes to make and what shamrock-inspired decorations to set out this year, don't forget to learn the why behind all the festivities, and supplement it by watching a St. Patrick's Day movie too. 'Tis the season to (sham)rock-‘n’-roll!

St. Patrick's Day Trivia Q&A

Question: Of which country is Saint Patrick the patron saint?

Answer: Ireland.

Question: Why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated on March 17?

Answer: It's the day Saint Patrick died in 461 CE.

Question: What demographic group was largely responsible for shifting St. Patrick's Day from a religious observation to a secular one?

Answer: Irish immigrants in the United States.

Question: On St. Patrick’s Day 2011, Irish-American astronaut Catherine Coleman celebrated in space by playing a century-old flute and a tin whistle belonging to what famous Irish music group?

Answer: The Chieftains

Question: Where and when was the first St. Patrick's Day parade ever recorded?

Answer: St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601. The area was then a Spanish colony, but it had an Irish vicar.

Question: Where and when was the first St. Paddy’s Day celebration in the British American colonies?

Answer: Boston in 1737. It was a dinner held by the Charitable Irish Society, the oldest Irish society in America, which still holds a dinner on March 17 today.

Question: What's the oldest and largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the world?

Answer: The New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, first held in 1762.

Question: Where and when was the first St. Patrick's Day parade in Ireland?

Answer: 1903 in the Irish town of Waterford. (Dublin followed in 1931.)

Question: According to Irish lore, what animal did St. Patrick drive out of Ireland?

Answer: Snakes.

Question: What do the three leaves of a shamrock symbolize on St. Patrick’s Day?

Answer: The Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), according to the legend that Saint Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the concept to potential converts. It can also symbolize love, hope, and faith.

Question: What are the odds of finding a "lucky" four-leaf clover?

Answer: Trick question! A Google search may tell you 1 in 10,000, but the real answer has not been reliably quantified, according to researchers at the University of Georgia. Along with recessive genes, environmental factors, such as temperature, are also at play, making it difficult to pin down the odds.

Question: What's the highest number of leaves ever recorded on a single clover stem?

Answer: 56, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. That's a lot of luck!

Question: What does the circle at the very center of a Celtic cross represent?

Answer: The sun.

Question: What is a boxty?

Answer: An Irish potato cake.

Question: Which coastal Southern city has had a huge St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebration since 1813?

Answer: Savannah, Georgia.

Question: How many people visit New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral each year?

Answer: Over 5 million.

Question: Where was the real Saint Patrick born?

Answer: Britain.

Question: Name the giant, iconic ferris wheel that turns green to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in England.

Answer: The London Eye.

Question: What does “Erin go bragh” mean?

Answer: Ireland forever.

Question: How do leprechauns earn their gold?

Answer: Making and mending shoes.

Question: What year did St. Patrick’s Day switch over from a strictly holy day for Catholics to an official Irish public holiday?

Answer: 1903.

Question: About how many Americans claim to have some Irish ancestry?

Answer: 31.5 million.

Question: What American city has dyed its river green every St. Patrick's Day since 1962?

Answer: Chicago.

Question: How many pounds of green vegetable dye are now used to turn the Chicago River green?

Answer: 40 pounds.

Question: What is another name for Ireland?

Answer: “The Emerald Isle.”

Question: How many days does Dublin’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festival last?

Answer: Four. (Some years, it has expanded to five!)

Question: What is the national flower/emblem of Ireland?

Answer: The Shamrock.

Question: What is the traditional main dish served at many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America?

Answer: Corned beef and cabbage.

Question: Irish soda bread uses what ingredient for leavening instead of yeast?

Answer: Baking soda.

Question: Up until the 1970s, pubs were closed in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day—what place was the one exception?

Answer: Beer vendors were allowed at the big national dog show, which was always held on St. Patrick's Day.

Question: Which pope canonized St. Patrick?

Answer: Trick question! St. Patrick was never canonized by a pope.

Question: What was St. Patrick’s name when he was born?

Answer: Maewyn Succat.

Question: Name a historic site that has been lit up in green on St. Patrick's Day in recent years.

Answer: The Roman Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Sydney Opera House, and the Empire State Building are among the possible correct answers.

Question: What happened to Saint Patrick at age 16 before becoming a priest?

Answer: He was abducted and brought to Northern Ireland.

Question: How many people march in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade?

Answer: About 150,000.

Question: Where is St. Patrick buried?

Answer: No one knows exactly where he is buried, but Down Cathedral in Ireland is the most widely accepted location.

Question: St. Patrick was originally associated with what color?

Answer: Blue.

Question: How many pints of Guinness do drinkers consume on St. Patrick’s Day worldwide?

Answer: 13 million.

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