Google Doodle Turns Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day, and Cleveland will be in the spotlight, celebrating all things Irish.

Parades and parties honoring Irish culture and one of Ireland’s patron saints will be on tap along with a pint or two.

It’s the day of the year when everything goes green — clothes, rivers and maybe even beer — St. Patrick’s Day, that wonderful, joyous and typically bacchanalian Irish holiday that Google is celebrating with a doodle of fiddling, dancing shamrocks.

The holiday, also known as the “Feast of Saint Patrick,” commemorates a man considered a patron saint of Ireland and bringer of Christianity to the nation. According to a religious document called the Declaration, Patrick was kidnapped from Britain at age 16 by Irish pirates and taken back to the Emerald Isle as a slave. He “found God” while working as a shepherd there, and the Almighty told him to go to the coast where there would be a ship to take him home.

For the 19th year, Indianapolis dyed a portion of its downtown canal green Monday.

Each year the city pours 10 gallons of concentrated liquid dye into the water, according to John Bartholomew a spokesman for the city department that oversees the canal. The dye turns the whole canal green and lasts about 2 to 4 days depending on whether it rains and dilutes the water, he said.

“It doesn’t hurt the fish. All the dyes we use are environmentally friendly,” according to Bartholomew. However, he said he did not know the exact brand used.

For many, St Patrick’s is more than a green-lined parade route.

At Reilly’s Irish Bakery, every day is St Patrick’s Day.

Reilly’s keeps Irish food traditions alive.

“It’s fun to see them come by and say ‘Oh my gosh, you have shepherd’s pie, you have pasties, you have eccles cakes,’ ” says Ronnie Isabella.

And triple chocolate Guinness cake.

Celebrating Ireland never tasted so good.