9 Questions for St. Patrick's Day

Jacob Ball, 9, of Saline, Mich.,holds gold-colored coins and beads with Grant Geiger, 11, of Saline,while riding on one of the parade floats in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Detroit on Sunday.

He may be the patron saint of Ireland, but St. Patrick is associated with a lot more these days:

Green food, green beer, and green milkshakes, just for starters. In fact, leprechauns, shamrocks, and everything Irish seem to make an appearance on March 17. The man celebrated on tomorrow s feast day was born in the 4th century

and became famous for converting those in Ireland to Christianity.

Much of St. Patrick s life remains a mystery, however. Legends and stories abound. Try your best to separate fact from fiction as you take this St. Patrick s Day quiz.

Ryan E. Smith

• 1. How did St. Patrick first arrive in Ireland?

A. He was born there.

B. His family moved to escape religious persecution.

C. He was kidnapped and sold as a slave.

D. He was sent by the Pope as a missionary.

• 2. According to legend, what did St. Patrick banish from Ireland?

A. Snakes

B. The English

C. Druids

D. Evil spirits

• 3. St. Patrick s Day occurs on March 17 because of what event that is believed to have happened on that day?

A. St. Patrick was born.

B. St. Patrick converted to Christianity.

C. St. Patrick died.

D. St. Patrick achieved sainthood.

• 4. Why are shamrocks associated with St. Patrick?

A. They can only be found in Ireland.

B. He supposedly used their three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity.

C. He liked to make milkshakes with them.

D. Folk tales say he planted them throughout Ireland.

• 5. Stories suggest that which of the following is true about St. Patrick?

A. He was nearly 7 feet tall.

B. He invented the Celtic cross.

C. He once brought a man back from the dead.

D. He was martyred by being burned alive at the stake.

• 6. What city hosted the first official St. Patrick s Day parade in 1762?

A. Dublin, Ireland

B. New York City

C. Chicago

D. Cork, Ireland

• 7. Today, the Chicago River is dyed green for a couple of hours, but how long did it last when the practice began in 1962?

A. Thirty minutes

B. A day

C. A week

D. A month

• 8. What does the expression Erin Go Bragh mean?

A. Free Ireland.

B. Kiss me, I m Irish.

C. Luck of the Irish.

D. Ireland forever.

• 9. In Celtic folk tales, leprechauns were cranky souls whose duties included what?

A. Fixing the shoes of other fairies.

B. Tricking humans into getting lost in the forest.

C. Guarding rainbows, which were portals to another world.

D. Making magically delicious cereal.

ANSWERS: 1. C, 2. A, 3. C, 4. B, 5. B, 6. B, 7. C, 8. D, 9. A.