A St. Patrick's Day Quiz

How are you on facts and Irish folklore? In anticipaton of the big day tomorrow, I thought a little quiz might be fun.

1. St. Patrick's Day honors Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, also called the Apostle of Ireland. He is credited with:

a. Making the shamrock Ireland's national symbol.
b. Converting Ireland to Christianity.
c. Driving the snakes out of Ireland.
d. All of the above.

2. A popular St. Patrick's Day tradition is wearing green clothing. What does the green symbolize?

a. The green on Ireland's flag.
b. Ireland's lush landscape.
c. The emeralds on St. Patrick's bishop's scepter.
d. The wealth of the leprechauns.

3. The first St. Patrick's Day parade in the United States was held in which city?

a. North Bend, Indiana
b. New York City
c. Dublin, Ohio
d. Boston

4. In Irish folkflore, a leprechaun is a small magical man who has a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. What is a leprechaun's usual job?

a. Blacksmith.
b. Shoemaker.
c. Baker.
d. Candlestick maker.

5. In Ireland, where St. Patrick's Day is an important religious holiday that happens to fall during Lent, many enjoy a traditional meal that includes colcannon -- boiled potatoes and butter mashed together with this vegetable:

a. Rutabagas.
b. Turnips.
c. Cabbage.
d. Beets.

6. The shamrock, Ireland's national symbol, is from the Irish seamrog. This translates to:

a. Tiny treasure.
b. Little clover.
c. Green flower.
d. Sweet hope.

7. A classic Irish toast, especially when having a pint of stout or lager at the local Irish pub, is:

a. Ceapaire!
b. Slainte!
c. Geansai!
d. Riomhaire!

8. In Chicago, what popular St. Patrick's Day tradition started in 1962?

a. Dyeing the Chicago River green for a day.
b. Free green beer at Wrigley Field.
c. Lighting the Sears Tower antennas green.
d. The leprechaun parade on the Magnificent Mile.

9. Baseball's Boston Red Sox was the first team to play in green jerseys to mark St. Patrick's Day. This lucky tradition began in the year:

a. 1915.
b. 1967.
c. 1986.
d. 2004.

10. One of only three countries in the world where St. Patrick's Day is an official public holiday is this Caribbean nation:

a. Aruba.
b. British Virgin Islands.
c. Montserrat.
d. Cayman Islands.


How well do you think you did? Any score higher than 2 out of the 10 will beat mine! I have some Irish ancestry, too! Shameful, almost. I'll publish the answers at 12:01am tomorrow.