More Americans Are Celebrating St. Patrick's Day Than Ever Before

Ah, St. Patrick's Day — annual celebration of Irish pride, good beer, and more corned beef and cabbage than you can possibly eat.

There are 39.6 million Americans who claim Irish heritage, but they aren't the only ones celebrating the holiday on March 17. In fact, 56.3% of the U.S. population celebrated St. Paddy's Day in 2013 — up from 54.4% in 2012, and a recent low of 44.1% in 2009.

The average American also spends about $35 on decorations and attire (more than 84% of Americans wear green for the occasion). And who can forget the beer? Revelers around the world consume 13 million pints of brand favorite Guinness. (The USA branch recently made headlines for withdrawing its sponsorship of New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade, in support of LGBT rights — organizers of the parade reportedly said LGBT participants could not identify themselves as such.) Read more...