On Saturday March 15, the Chicago River was dyed green for the Annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities with thousands of spectators attending. This tradition began in 1962, from Mayor Richard J. Daley and has continued ever since. Richard Daley got the idea from when plumbers would use green dye to trace sewage leaks. The Associated Press reported that The dyeing immediately precedes the annual downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade. The day — which falls on Monday this year — celebrates Irish culture. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is credited with having brought Christianity there in the fifth century.
The task of dyeing the river takes around 45 minutes and the bright green color lasts for a couple hours or even a couple days. The dye that is used is vegetable based and is nontoxic for the environment and safe for the wildlife.
The dyeing of the Chicago River is considered an important event bringing people together to celebrate Irish culture and heritage. As each year passes Chicago’s St. Patrick’s tradition never shows signs of dying out as it is a highly awaited event each year.
