14 Things You Never Knew About St. Patty’s Day

11. Chicago’s Green River

Every year in Chicago, the local plumber’s union goes to the effort of dying the Chicago River, which runs through the city, a lovely shade of Kelly green in honor of St. Patty’s Day. The river isn’t necessarily dyed on St. Patrick’s Day; it’s usually colored in on the Saturday closest to the holiday, in order to increase the number of people who are able to enjoy it. In the beginning, the dye took several days to dissipate, but these days, the non-toxic dye is gone in about five hours.