While St. Patrick’s Day may not be a government-observed holiday in the 
United States, many people across the world still celebrate the Irish holiday. Whether it’s wearing their green clothing, feasting on corned beef and cabbage or downing a green beer (or two), there is fun to be had by everyone on March 17. Here are some interesting things you may not know about St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish:
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because this is the feast day and anniversary of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
St. Patrick was born in 385 AD somewhere along the west coast of Britain, possibly in the Welsh town of Banwen. At age 16, he was captured and sold into slavery to a sheep farmer. He escaped when he was 22 and spent the next 12 years in a monastery. In his 30s he returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. He died at Saul in 461 AD and is buried at Downpatrick.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States in 1762. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. The parade and music helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots.
In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. Up until the 1970s, Irish law mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. However, beginning in 1995, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick’s Day as a way to drive tourism to the country.
In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges (representative of the Irish flag), and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
The idea of a “lucky” four-leaf clover comes from the legend that says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.
According to a 2003 census, 34 million Americans claim to have Irish ancestry. That’s almost nine times Ireland’s population, which has 4.1 million people.
So, now when you don your brightest green outfit this St. Patrick’s Day, you can tell your friends why we celebrate the Irish holiday and how it came about. Have fun and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find that four-leaf clover.
Facts collected from Kaboose.com and History.com
Barrister prides itself in providing the necessary tools to build a solid foundation that enables our tenants and employees to achieve success.
In addition to Barrister’s unbridled commitment to front-line and back office service to our tenants, we offer value-added opportunities, including networking events and business-related seminars.
Barrister Chairman Vince Otte has received his share of accolades throughout his illustrious career.
Barrister Executive Suites, Inc. is proud to announce that they will continue their long-term presence at 15760 Ventura Boulevard in Encino, with the renewal of their master lease. The Encino office, located on the 7th floor of the Wells Fargo Bank building, has been in the company’s portfolio for approximately 35 years and will continue to serve business professionals in their office needs for years to come.
Barrister Executive Suites, Inc. congratulates Shannon Sanguinetti of Instant Offices for winning the Web-Broker Contest held in December. Sanguinetti won both 1st Place for having the highest total lease value, and 2nd Place for the highest rent amount in a single deal. Her total combined prize was $750.00
BARRISTER RENEWS ITS MASTER LEASE IN BURBANK.
Leading the trend towards increased sustainability, international real estate firm, Hines, challenged tenants at Golden Eagle Plaza in downtown San Diego to “green” their office as part of their company-wide program. The firm announced its Hines GO (Green Office) Program to the tenants at 525 B Street in June. Since then, about 80% of the tenants at the downtown San Diego location have jumped on board with efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and increase sustainability. The GO program complements the LEED Green Building Rating System and the Energy Star “Bring Your Green to Work” programs, drawing on Hines’ 52 years of sustainable expertise at more than 1,100 properties. Hines is a leader in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. The Golden Eagle Plaza building was awarded the Energy Star Label in 2007 and has been making ongoing efforts in sustainability since then.
Barrister Executive Suites Inc. showed the real estate community what it means to “Go Greek” at an open house hosted at their Century City location on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Barrister Executive Suites, Inc. showcased its newly renovated Torrance location with an Open House business mixer last week on October 15, 2009. The firm recently renewed its office lease for the Executive Suites at 21250 Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 500 & 700, Torrance, California. The event was attended by a variety of business executives and commercial real estate brokers.
