How Chicago dyes its river green for St Patrick's Day and surprising reason why tradition began
17th March is, of course, St Patrick's Day with millions of Americans celebrating all things Irish.
Whether it be attending a parade or sinking an ungodly amount of Guinness, there are numerous ways people mark the occasion, though none are more bizarre than what happens in Chicago.
To mark the Irish day of celebration, officials in the city pour a special green dye in the Chicago River beginning near the Columbus Drive bridge.
The river turns an Irish green within just minutes and the speculator color is at its most stunning in the first hour. The river remains green for a number of hours before returning to its usual state.
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The deed was done on Saturday (March 14) this year, with the dye stretching all the way to Orleans Street, before coming to a halt just before Wolf Point.
While the formula of the dye is non-toxic, the actual makeup of the dye is kept between officials who unleash the substance on the Chicago River every year.
Why is the Chicago River dyed green for St Patrick’s Day?
It was back in the 1960s when the idea of dyeing a body of water first started to emerge, and it all began by accident.
It stems back to an incident which emerged at a local plumbers' union and was headed up by a friend of then-mayor Richard J. Daley.
While looking for a leak from a broken pipe, the Chicago-based plumbers used orange dye to try and track down the source of the leak, but noticed the dye turned emerald green after hitting the water.
The head of the union called Mayor Daley to discuss the find, after which Daley suggested turning Lake Michigan green in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that it was too ambitious a project, so the pair decided they would dye the Chicago River green instead.
That was in 1962, and the green dye has remained a tradition ever since.
Chicago's Irish heritage
During the Great Famine in the 19th century, many Irish people settled in Chicago and took on labor-intensive jobs, such as building canals and railroads.
Over time, they gained more of an influence in politics - particularly through figures like Daley - and built strong Catholic communities.
To this day, their legacy remains and their culture is deeply rooted in neighborhoods like Beverly, Mount Greenwood, and Bridgeport.
Is the Chicago River still green?
Choose Chicago, a tourist information, said of the event: "The annual Chicago River dyeing is one of the most unique St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world. Typically held the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day (the same day as the downtown parade), this bucket-list event is a beloved tradition that dates back over half a century.
"The brilliant green color only lasts a few hours, so be sure to catch a glimpse and snap some photos before heading off to a local tavern to enjoy some green beer."
Unfortunately, if you are in the Chicago area and were hoping to see the green Chicago River on St Patrick's Day, you may well have left it too late as the dye only stays around for a matter of hours.
Callum Jones