St. Patrick's Day Means Millions Of Dollars In Spending Green
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Faith 'n begorrah, it's St. Patrick's Day -- and the lads and lassies be having a fine time at the Harp & Fiddle in the Strip District.
But, of course, you don't have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Carlo Dozzi of Ross Township told KDKA money editor Jon Delano that he's 100 percent Italian.
Delano: "So why are you here?"
Dozzi: "Because I'm married to an Irish girl."
And although he's not Irish, Dozzi was spending more than a few bucks at the Irish pub.
"I buy everybody drinks. I don't even know who they are, but they're all knowing who I am," he said.
St. Patrick's Day is not just about having a good time. It also means spending money. How about this figure: $4.6 billion is spent in America on this day.
"I spent money on green. I spent green on green this year," noted Sharon DePaoli of Cecil.
"This week is like six or seven times busier than our month of December or Christmas season," says David Regan, owner of the Harp & Fiddle.
Regan says for an Irish pub, St. Patrick's Day beats Christmas by a long shot.
On St. Patrick's Day, 13 million pints of Guinness beer are drunk worldwide, double the average daily consumption.
"We sell more Guinness than anyone in the state, today especially, and the parade day we sold 40 barrels just of Guinness alone," notes Regan.
The Flahertys were drinking more than few pitchers of Guinness at the pub.
It's their special day.
"We met here 10 years ago. On this very spot. We're married, and we have a 4-and-a-half year old son," said Christine Flynn Flaherty of Shaler.
The average American spends around 40 bucks on this day -- but we're above average here.
"Definitely a couple hundred dollars, at least," noted Kathy Krolicki of Cranberry.
And that brings a lot of green happiness on St. Patrick's Day.
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