Chicago River Tradition

Today Chicago continued its St. Patrick’s Day celebration tradition of dyeing the city’s river green.

Every year, Chicagoans anticipate the tradition that has been celebrated since 1962 when the mayor was Richard J. Daley. According to FOX news, it was Daley’s idea to dye Lake Michigan green, but because it would be a huge tasks, he settled on changing the color of the Chicago River. That year the bright shade of green came from dye city plumbers used to detected sewage leaks.

Thanks to the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union, the annual event still draws a crowd. The workers use 40 pounds of a non-toxic, and safe for wildlife, orange-red vegetable-based powder to turn the river into the famous shade of green. The exact formula of the dye is a long kept secret.