EPISODE · Mar 17, 2025 · 3 MIN
BIZARRE Secret Formula That Turns Chicago's River GREEN! (Only 6 People Know It!) | Have YOU Heard?
from “Have YOU heard?” · host Troy W. Hudson
Have YOU heard that the Chicago River turns green using a secret formula known to only 6 people? Stay tuned…The Chicago River's famous green dye for St. Patrick's Day began accidentally in 1961. City pollution-control workers used green dye to trace illegal sewage discharges when Stephen Bailey, a St. Patrick's Day Parade organizer, noticed a colleague's overalls stained green. This sparked the idea to dye the entire river! The original dye lasted for weeks, but today they use a secret vegetable-based formula known to only 6 people that breaks down in 24-48 hours. It takes just 40 pounds of dye to turn the river emerald green for hundreds of thousands of spectators!"*Source: Chicago Tribune Historical Archives and Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee official website*Today isn't just St. Patrick's Day - it's also National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day! Did you know this 'traditional Irish dish' is actually more Irish-American than truly Irish? In Ireland, the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal was bacon and cabbage. When Irish immigrants came to America, they substituted affordable corned beef, often bought from Jewish neighbors, creating this cultural fusion we now associate with the holiday!*Source: NationalDayCalendar.com - National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, March 17*On this day in 1762, New York City held its first St. Patrick's Day parade! That's right - the tradition began 260 years ago when a small group of Irish soldiers serving in the British Army marched to a tavern to celebrate their heritage. Today, it's grown into the largest and oldest civilian parade in the United States with over 150,000 participants and 2 million spectators annually!*Source: OnThisDay.com - March 17, 1762*Here's something surprising - St. Patrick's color wasn't green but blue! The earliest depictions show him in blue robes, and when the Order of St. Patrick was established in 1783, its official color was 'St. Patrick's Blue.' Green became associated with the holiday much later through the Irish independence movement, the shamrock, and Ireland's nickname as the 'Emerald Isle.' So wearing blue on St. Patrick's Day is actually more historically accurate!Finally, my friend Patrick tried to explain Irish step dancing to me yesterday. He said, 'You have to keep your arms straight and your feet moving quickly.' I tried it and fell flat on my face! He laughed and said, 'What happened?' I told him, 'I guess I'm just having a HARD TIME KEEPING MY LEGS IN LIME!⏰ Timestamps: 00:11 Chicago River's famous green dye00:51 National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day01:21 New York City's first St. Patrick's Day parade01:49 St. Patrick's color wasn't green but blue02:18 HUMOROUS STORY WITH DAD JOKEWatch, Learn and Enjoy!Troy W. Hudson
What this episode covers
Have YOU heard that the Chicago River turns green using a secret formula known to only 6 people? Stay tuned…The Chicago River's famous green dye for St. Patrick's Day began accidentally in 1961. City pollution-control workers used green dye to trace illegal sewage discharges when Stephen Bailey, a St. Patrick's Day Parade organizer, noticed a colleague's overalls stained green. This sparked the idea to dye the entire river! The original dye lasted for weeks, but today they use a secret vegetable-based formula known to only 6 people that breaks down in 24-48 hours. It takes just 40 pounds of dye to turn the river emerald green for hundreds of thousands of spectators!"*Source: Chicago Tribune Historical Archives and Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee official website*Today isn't just St. Patrick's Day - it's also National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day! Did you know this 'traditional Irish dish' is actually more Irish-American than truly Irish? In Ireland, the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal was bacon and cabbage. When Irish immigrants came to America, they substituted affordable corned beef, often bought from Jewish neighbors, creating this cultural fusion we now associate with the holiday!*Source: NationalDayCalendar.com - National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, March 17*On this day in 1762, New York City held its first St. Patrick's Day parade! That's right - the tradition began 260 years ago when a small group of Irish soldiers serving in the British Army marched to a tavern to celebrate their heritage. Today, it's grown into the largest and oldest civilian parade in the United States with over 150,000 participants and 2 million spectators annually!*Source: OnThisDay.com - March 17, 1762*Here's something surprising - St. Patrick's color wasn't green but blue! The earliest depictions show him in blue robes, and when the Order of St. Patrick was established in 1783, its official color was 'St. Patrick's Blue.' Green became associated with the holiday much later through the Irish independence movement, the shamrock, and Ireland's nickname as the 'Emerald Isle.' So wearing blue on St. Patrick's Day is actually more historically accurate!Finally, my friend Patrick tried to explain Irish step dancing to me yesterday. He said, 'You have to keep your arms straight and your feet moving quickly.' I tried it and fell flat on my face! He laughed and said, 'What happened?' I told him, 'I guess I'm just having a HARD TIME KEEPING MY LEGS IN LIME!⏰ Timestamps: 00:11 Chicago River's famous green dye00:51 National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day01:21 New York City's first St. Patrick's Day parade01:49 St. Patrick's color wasn't green but blue02:18 HUMOROUS STORY WITH DAD JOKEWatch, Learn and Enjoy!Troy W. Hudson
NOW PLAYING
BIZARRE Secret Formula That Turns Chicago's River GREEN! (Only 6 People Know It!) | Have YOU Heard?
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.