Guinness Releases St. Patrick’s Day Video Responding to Coronavirus Pandemic

Many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have been put on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but the fine people at Guinness don’t want you to fret.

The Dublin-based beer company released the video below along with the following statement: “We know that St. Patrick’s Day feels different this year. But we’ve been around for 260 years and learned over time that we’re pretty tough when we stick together. However you choose to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, stay safe and be good to one another. Guinness today is committing $500,000 through our Guinness Gives Back Fund to help communities where we live, work and celebrate.”

Regardless of what you’re drinking, everyone should raise a glass to this.

7 Random Facts About St. Patrick’s Day

• Saint Patrick wasn’t born in Ireland

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  St. Patrick's Day has become a celebration of all things Irish, but the holiday's namesake wasn't even born in Ireland. He was born in Britain but was brought to Ireland as a slave when he was just 16 via kidnapping. While he would escape his enslavement, he would return to Ireland where he would be integral in converting the country to Christianity.

• Pubs remained closed in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day until the 1970s.

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  Bars often open incredibly early for St. Patrick's Day celebrations, but the pubs of Ireland weren't a factor in St. Patrick's Day celebrations because the day was viewed as a religious holiday. It wasn't until the 1970s when pubs in Ireland opened up for March 17 celebrations.

• Boston and New York provided two important St. Patrick’s Day firsts in the United States.

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  The very first St. Patrick's Day celebration took place in Boston and dates back to 1737, but the first St. Patrick's Day parade in the United States dates back to 1762 and took place in New York City.
• Hot Springs, Arkansas has a unique claim to their St. Patrick’s Day parade.

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  What's makes the St. Paddy's Day parade in Hot Springs, Arkansas so different? It's literally the shortest parade route measuring only 98 feet.

• Over 30 million Americans claim Irish ancestry.

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  Per the 2016 census, there were 32.3 million people in the United States whose ancestry is traced back to Ireland. The highest concentration of Irish Americans is found in Massachusettes, with 20.2 percent of residents claiming ancestry.

• Millions of Guinness pints are sold on St. Patrick’s Day worldwide.

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  Guinness sales understandably go up on St. Patrick's Day, but how many pints are sold? Per 'USA Today', 13 million pints were sold on March 17 in 2017 alone. Sláinte! 
• A proper pint of Guinness takes time to pour.

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  There's no such thing as a quick pour of a pint of Guinness. In fact, to pour a perfect pint of Guinness from a tap, a glass is first filled at a 45 degree angle and must settle for 119.5 seconds before being topped off.