ORLANDO, Fla. – On St. Patrick’s Day, images of leprechauns, shamrocks, and pots of gold at the end of rainbows start filling the feeds on social media and can even be seen in decorations to celebrate the holiday, but do you know why? Let’s start with the basics.
Leprechauns are said to be cranky elf-like men who played their fair share of tricks when they weren’t mending the shoes of fairies in Irish folklore. They are not to be messed with and if you try to catch them to get their pot of gold, you have a difficult task ahead of you.
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Their gold is precious to them since it’s payment from the fairies for working on their shoes. The leprechauns are said to keep their gold in a large black pot and they hide it very well. Legend has it if you actually catch the stealthy leprechaun, you can force them to tell you where they hid their gold. This is usually at the end of a rainbow. Finding that is just as difficult as catching a leprechaun!
The rainbow has more meaning to the Irish than just finding a pot of gold. Accomplishing that task can be very difficult, but in Celtic culture the rainbow signifies hope and goals. Sure, finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow would be nice, but it’s often more representative of the attempt to pursue a dream someone has and to someday reach that goal.
The shamrock is another symbol that has more meaning behind it than just luck. The three leaf plant is thought to be lucky because of the divine meaning behind the number 3. The number is considered the perfect number representing the past, present, and future. It also represents harmony, understanding, and wisdom. Others say the shamrock represents the Holy Trinity and that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland himself, used the shamrock to spread Christianity throughout Ireland.
Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day means more than being lucky since you won’t be pinched. Of course it’s said anyone who wears green on St. Patrick’s Day will be invisible to the leprechaun who would pinch anyone not wearing green. People would pinch those not wearing the special color to remind them the leprechauns would be out pinching anyone they could see, so be sure to wear green to be invisible. The color green also represents the Irish people on the flag. The orange represents the British after people associated the color with William III of England. The white between the two colors symbolizes peace between the English and Irish cultures.
One more popular St. Patrick’s Day tradition is the “Kiss Me I’m Irish” saying. Did you know that came from a stone? It’s true! The Blarney Stone is the “Stone of Eloquence” in Blarney Castle. It’s said that kissing this stone brings good luck, but how? Once someone kisses the stone they’re said to never be at a loss for words. Since the stone is in the castle in Ireland and not everyone can make that trip, there’s another option! That’s right, kissing an Irishman is the next best thing hence the “kiss me I’m Irish” saying we often see on shirts worn on the holiday.
There are many more symbols and traditions that go along with St. Patrick’s Day. Which one is your favorite?