March 12, 2008
What Do Shamrocks And Leprechauns Have To Do With St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, is fast approaching. On this day we will see people wearing shamrocks on various parts of their body and we may even see the occasional person dressed up in full leprechaun gear.
Since I’ve already told you how to ooze irish pride with the right St. Patrick’s Day gear, I thought it would be appropriate to tell you why.
If you’ve ever heard the real history of St. Patrick’s day you are left with the nagging question: What do shamrocks and leprechauns have to do with St. Patrick’s Day and St. Patty’s Day Costumes?
The History Of St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Born in Britain, he was taken by Irish raiders back to Ireland where he lived as a slave for nearly six years. Patrick escaped his captors and fled back to his family.
Patrick later became a bishop of his church and returned to Ireland as a missionary. His work led Ireland to make him the patron saint. So Patrick became St. Patrick.
So St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland on March 17th right? Nope. The snakes story is more than likely part of his legend. The date of March 17th is widely believed to be the day that St. Patrick died.
This History of The Shamrock
Here is the most important thing you can learn about the shamrock…the shamrock is not the same thing as the four leafed clover. They are sometimes mistaken for each other because they are both symbols commonly used in Ireland but the four leafed clover is a symbol of good luck.
The shamrock is actually the three leafed clover and has taken on such significance in Ireland because it is said to represent the Holy Trinity in the church.
Informally the shamrock is “the badge of Ireland”. It can be seen on sports teams, troops, and state organizations.
The History of The Leprechaun
Irish mythology has long told the story of the leprechaun. This is a male faerie that inhabits the the island of Ireland. Leprechauns are usually in the form of an old man and they love to create mischief.
As the legend goes, Leprechauns are very rich with treasure and they are craftsman that can create things such as bowls, shields, buckets and clothing. If a leprechaun is caught he must be truthful in telling you where his fortune is. Although being truthful he is also crafty and will use his wits to avoid giving his fortune…while still telling the truth.
It seems that the legend of the Leprechaun have been used generation after generation as almost a role-model type story. If you follow the example of the Leprechaun you are someone that works hard and is a professional, is thrifty with his fortune, tells the truth but also knows how to work a loop hole to avoid losing his fortune.
Put `Em All Together And What Have You Got?
All of this information still leaves the question: what do shamrocks and leprechauns have to do with St. Patrick’s Day? Well, the shamrock as an example of the holy trinity is said to have been created by St. Patrick himself so it makes sense that this would still be used as a symbol of remembrance today.
It is also said that St. Patrick had an uncle who was a leprechaun and that he was able to follow his uncles rainbow to find…that’s a lie. I’m lying.
It seems that countries other than Ireland such as America have taken all of the symbols that they associate with Ireland and have lumped them all together in one stereotypical holiday. I guess since there is a stereotype that Irish people are big drinkers is the reason why everyone sees St. Patrick’s Day as a day to tie one on an not feel guilty…we are just honoring St. Patrick after all.
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