Half of those celebrating St Patrick’s Day admit they have no idea why they’re doing so. New research, from Paddy Power Games, quizzed Brits on their St Patrick’s Day traditions and knowledge of patron saints.
The Irish gaming brand also asked Brits if they could correctly identify the patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The English were the worst at identifying their own patron saint, with two in five people unable to correctly name St George as England’s representative.
Those marking the day are likely to play-up their ‘Irishness’, according to the study – 16% are planning to throw out some traditional Irish phrases, such as “craic”, or “top o’ the mornin’ to ya”, with one in 10 attempting the accent too.
Exaggerating how Irish they are is also another likely activity for Brits celebrating St Patrick – 4% will pretend they are actually from Ireland, while 6% will falsely claim they have Irish heritage.
A spokesperson for Paddy Power Games said: “As an Irish brand, we’re very proud of our heritage, and St Patrick’s Day is always one to look forward to. And, it looks as though many Brits agree with us, even if they don’t quite understand why it’s such an exciting day.
“Given the English have such a lack of knowledge on the subject, we can add ‘knowing about patron saints’ to a list of things Ireland is better at – on top of horseracing, pouring a decent pint and having access to the Single Market.”
