Saint Patrick's Day is definitely one of the more popular holidays celebrated in the United States. Not only is it a reason for people to celebrate their Irish heritage, it's an excuse for Irish and non-Irish alike to wear lots of green and party in the streets. But why is this even a thing? I mean, I'm Irish and I'm still not too certain I know the reason. So, as usual, I did a little research. Here are a few things I learned about St. Patty's that I never knew.

1. Green wasn't always considered the color of Ireland.

This really surprised me. As far as I knew, this had always been a thing! But, apparently green used to be considered unlucky. Blue was the color most often associated with St. Patrick, as well as the country of Ireland.

2. Saint Patrick isn't even from Ireland.

Wait what. This is the whole point of the holiday. Alas, Saint Patrick originally was from Wales.

3. The shamrock doesn't actually symbolize good luck.

It is supposed to stand for the Holy Trinity: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. He is a saint, after all.

4. Speaking of the shamrock, it isn't the representative symbol of Ireland.

If you look hard enough through Irish culture you'll notice a lot of harps. That's because the harp is actually Ireland's symbol.

5. Wildly enough, Ireland banned drinking for Saint Patrick's Day until 1970.

It's hard to believe there was ever a time that this was a thing. This happened because for a while, it was considered a religious holiday. After 1970, it was back to being a national holiday.