The World of Saint Patrick. Everyone knows about Saint Patrick — the man who drove the snakes out of Ireland, defeated fierce Druids in contests of magic, and used the shamrock to explain the Christian Trinity to the pagan Irish. It’s a great story, but none of it is true.

When Ireland finally rose to the surface, it was attached to mainland Europe, and thus, snakes were able to make their way onto the land. However, about three million years ago, the Ice Age arrived, meaning that snakes, being cold-blooded creatures, were no longer able to survive, so Ireland’s snakes vanished.

Saul, United Kingdom

There’s a popular theory that the serpent was actually a metaphor for the early Pagan faiths of Ireland. However, the idea that Patrick physically drove the Pagans from Ireland in inaccurate; what he did do was facilitate the spread of Christianity around the Emerald Isle.

It is NOT a good idea to wear orange on St. Patrick’s day. The green represents the Catholics, orange represents the Protestants, white represents the “peace” between the groups. Orange is the color of the Protestants, and Protestants don’t celebrate the saints.

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What Irish People Really Eat On St. Patrick’s Day

• Irish bacon. When Americans hear the word “bacon,” thoughts are filled with the idea of crispy strips of pig-sourced goodness.
• Lamb stew. St.
• Chicken and leek pie.
• Steak and Guinness pie.
• Shepherd’s and cottage pie.
• Colcannon.
• Soda bread.
• Rhubarb tart.

Corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually the national dish of Ireland. You wouldn’t eat it on St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, nor would you be likely to find it in Cork. It’s typically only eaten around the holiday here in the U.S. So how did corned beef and cabbage become synonymous with the Irish?

While it provides protein and nutrients like iron and vitamin B12, corned beef is relatively high in fat and sodium. It’s also a source of certain compounds that may increase your risk of cancer.

The unpopularity of corned beef in Ireland comes from its relationship with beef in general. From early on, cattle in Ireland were not used for their meat but for their strength in the fields, for their milk and for the dairy products produced. In Gaelic Ireland, cows were a symbol of wealth and a sacred animal.

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What is Irish bacon? A thick lean meaty cut of pork with a rind of fat around the edges. The bacon is cut from the back of the pig which is why it is frequently referred to as back bacon. In style it is very similar to Canadian bacon.

In Ireland, people call bacon rashers. As we know, their bacon is from the back of pork. So, they used to call it rashers.

A rasher is Ireland’s way of referring to a slice of bacon. Unlike the even strips of bacon found in the U.S., Irish bacon is usually round and could be thought of as a fattier version of Canadian bacon. It’s often made from the back meat of a pig – in contrast to U.S. bacon made from the pork belly.

One example is the world’s most expensive rasher of bacon. It is a rasher of streaky bacon that is covered in rich, dark chocolate and then dusted with edible 23-carat gold. This is an expensive treat for bacon lovers as it is $39.99 per rasher.

Turkey bacon has slightly fewer calories and fat than pork bacon and can be a healthier option for people on special diets or who can’t eat pork. Yet, it’s a processed meat with less protein and more added sugar than regular bacon and may contain preservatives that have been linked to increased cancer risk.

The Bottom Line on Bacon and Health If you want a lower fat and saturated fat pork bacon, choose from the center cut bacons, namely Oscar Mayer Center Cut Smokehouse Thick Sliced. If you want turkey bacon, try a few types until you find a brand you really like.

Before trying a meat alternative, however, people with diabetes should check the salt content. Chicken or turkey bacon may also be a lower-fat choice, although its sodium content may still be high.

Oscar Meyer’s Louis Rich brand is deemed the best, with all others trailing far behind.