For those of Irish descent, St. Patrick’s Day is a day-long celebration of proud cultural heritage not unlike most Greek and Italian festivals held across the United States. In fact, the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade actually took place in New York City in 1762! Today, of course, St. Patrick’s Day parades are bigger and greener than ever.

However, while you may know how to celebrate this day on American soil, there’s been quite a lot of confusion over how St. Patrick’s Day is actually celebrated in Ireland. To help clear up some of the mystery before your next international flight, here are some of the most common Saint Patrick’s Day myths and misconceptions about how the Irish celebrate St. Patrick’s Day that might have heard at some point.

MYTH: St. Patrick’s Day Is a Tourist Trap

Sure, there are some touristy aspects of St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, but there’s also plenty of authentic Irish culture and good to enjoy. Try doing some research ahead of time — maybe find a friend of a friend or someone who lives in Ireland and can steer you away from the crowds and toward an experience that’s more akin to what the local’s enjoy. This will be especially easy to do if you spend the day in a city that’s outside of Dublin.

MYTH: St. Patrick’s Day Is Conservative

[“Dublin 2012 – St. Patrick’s Day Parade” by William Murphy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0]

Since the 1990s and early 2000s, St. Paddy’s Day parades have become a lot larger, a lot greener, and a lot more inclusive. In fact, the parade is now considered the main event. Many people claim this is due to international tourists accustomed to boozy celebrations at Irish pubs, but the locals — especially in Dublin — are just as likely to pull on a silly hat and drape themselves in a green scarf in a display of festive patriotism.

MYTH: St. Patrick’s Day Is All About Drinking

Although the streets of Dublin and other urban areas can become a little rowdy at night — especially if younger adults are involved — St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is very much a family-friendly holiday. Children enjoy painting their faces and dancing at some of the local festivals. What’s more, because Irish pub culture is traditionally a social scene, even those who prefer to raise a pint on St. Paddy’s Day are sure to spend the day with their family and friends.

MYTH: St. Patrick Banished All Snakes From Ireland

Saint Patrick statue overlooking the famous Hill of Slane.

Legend has it that St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland. But is this true? The story recalls Patrick standing on a hillside overlooking the Emerald Isle, delivering a sermon that cast the island’s snakes out into the ocean. Experts claim that Ireland has always been free of snakes because the water and ice that surrounds Ireland prevents snakes from coming onto land. What scholars do maintain is that the legend of the snake banishment is, most likely, an allegory in which St. Patrick eradicates the pagan rituals that had previously permeated the land.

You may also like: 10 Unexpected U.S. Cities to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day

MYTH: Green Has Always Been the Color of St. Patrick’s Day

If the mere thought of St. Patrick’s Day makes you conjure up images of the color green, you’re not alone! After all, this color has been traditionally associated with both Ireland and its most famous holiday. There are a number of reasons that point to green as the symbolic color of St. Patrick’s Day. For example, the green shades that dot the landscape of the Irish countryside.

However, the truth is that the knights in the Order of St. Patrick actually wore a light blue. Then, what happened? Well, it turns out the correlation of green with the holiday comes from the 18th century, more specifically when the people who supported the quest for Irish independence wore Green to represent their fight. Since then, the holiday has embraced the color and developed traditions that include wearing green clothing and drinking green beer.

MYTH: The Irish Traditionally Eat Corned Beef on This Day

While most people associate corned beef with St. Patrick’s Day, it’s not necessarily the dish of choice in Ireland. Actually, the most common protein consumed by the Irish on this day is a type of bacon that more closely resembles ham. This dish has its roots in the holiday’s origin in Ireland. It was not until Irish immigrants in New York City settled on the Lower East Side and began purchasing corned beef from the Jewish people in the neighborhood that this dish became more commonplace on March 17. The immigrants did not typically have enough money to purchase the bacon that their ancestors in Ireland ate on this day, and so they settled for corned beef and cabbage instead. Since this time, Americans have noshed on corned beef and all of the fixings as a symbol of the holiday. So, now you know. Next time you plan a cheap vacation to Ireland, don’t forget to broaden your culinary horizons!

MYTH: St. Patrick Was Irish

There is some uncertainty surrounding where St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, was born. Most interpretations now hold that St. Patrick was born in Britain — what is now Wales, Scotland, and England — around the year 390 CE. And — get this — he was of Italian descent, or at least Roman descent, since Italy didn’t really exist at the time.

St. Patrick was apparently captured by Irish raiders after they attacked his home. His captors took him to Ireland, where he was held in captivity for about six years. Patrick was finally able to escape, fleeing to England to study religion. He eventually returned to Ireland, serving as a missionary and earning his reputation as a patron saint. Again, most historians believe that Patrick was Roman, in particular from Roman aristocracy. This makes sense when you learn that at the time of his birth, the British Isles were occupied by the Romans…

Have you been to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day? We want to hear about it in the comments section below!