Brilliance or Blarney: The St. Patrick's Day Traditions Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Brilliance or Blarney: The St. Patrick's Day Traditions Quiz
Image: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

About This Quiz

St. Patrick's Day can be one of the most fun holidays of the year - and one of the most misunderstood. Who was St. Patrick? Why are people pinching me? Whose idea was it to dye entire rivers green? Find out these answers and more as you kiss the Blarney Stone and learn (or confirm) the truth about St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 because it's the day that:
St. Patrick was born.
St. Patrick died.
St. Patrick ran the snakes out of Ireland.
For what purpose was St. Patrick's Day was originally created?
to outrank St. Valentine's Day for popularity
an excuse to drink heavily
a day of prayer for spiritual missions
What's with the shamrock? What does it symbolize?
the holy Trinity
the luck of the Irish
the green fields of Ireland

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Where did the first St. Patrick's Day parade take place?
Dublin
New York City
Chicago
What is the Hibernian Society?
Irish people who stay home on St. Patrick's Day
a charitable group that helps Irish Immigrants
a group of Irish mobsters
How do people currently celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland?
visiting America for a parade
attending their own St. Patrick's Day Festival
staying at home for a day of rest

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What is the name of the group in Japan that offers assistance to Irish immigrants?
Irish Network Japan
Erin Go Abroad
Islanders Unite
What will kissing the Blarney Stone bring you?
good luck
eloquence
a cold sore
Which of these meals is often eaten in America on St. Patrick's Day?
green curry
corned beef and cabbage
beer and brats

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Why do you get pinched if you aren't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day?
You've been naughty.
It's a fun way to meet people.
Leprechauns can see you.
What was the first official color of St. Patrick's Day?
blue
green
gold
What number more than doubles on St. Patrick's Day?
the number of people jailed in New York City
the number of pints of Guinness sold
the number of people attending Mass in Boston

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Which American St. Patrick's Day tradition began as an accident?
hosting a parade
finding a pot of gold
dyeing rivers green
Name the famous President of the United States with an Irish family background who forgot St. Patrick's Day.
John F. Kennedy
Harry S. Truman
James Buchanan
Where was St. Patrick born?
Britain
Ireland
France

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Which musical instrument is the most highly treasured in Ireland?
bagpipes
harp
dulcimer
What's an Irish Car Bomb?
a popular alcoholic drink
a dangerous reminder of Protestant and Catholic disagreements in Ireland
both A and B
Which common St. Patrick's Day symbol has little to do with the holiday?
Celtic crosses
leprechauns
snakes

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Which Irish saying means "excuse me”?
Erin go bragh
go n-eiri an t-adh leat
gabh mo leithsceal
Which city in the Southeastern U.S. is home to the second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country?
Highlands, N.C.
Miami, Fla.
Savannah, Ga.