St Patrick’s Day is not widely celebrated in America. But regardless of whether people celebrate or not, there are three things everyone can remember about this holiday: the wearing of green, the leprechaun, and the four-leaf clover. These are the main things people remember about the holiday, but how did they become a part of this? Well, let’s find out.  

Wearing Green to Rebel

Legend says that if a person wears green, the leprechaun won’t pinch you or anyone else. Unfortunately, that’s not the main reason for the color. The original color was blue. The color represented Ireland, starting with King Henry VIII in 1541. He pressed the Irish Kingdom with a coat of arms featuring a gold harp and dark blue background. But later on in the late 18th to 20th century, a controversy between the Irish population and the British crown arose. To show rebellion and identity toward the crown, the Irish population wore green and used St. Patrick’s shamrock as a symbol. 

To Get Lucky! 

The shamrock or the three-leaf clover is the symbol of not just the holiday but a sign of religion. St. Patrick in about 432 CE (BCE) returned to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity after being a slave for six years and becoming a priest. To teach the ways of Christianity to the Irish, he used the three-leaf clover as an example. He used the clover to represent the Holy Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This also represents faith, hope and love. It is rare to find a clover with four leaves instead of three. This is why if a person comes across a four-leaf clover, that person is considered lucky. 

Leprechaun 

Leprechauns came with the holiday and Irish culture first as old Irish fables. In tradition saying that if you wear green you’ll make yourself invisible in the eyes of leprechauns.  If a leprechaun is caught by a human it has to tell where his pot of gold is. In return, they get their freedom. There are no female leprechauns. The Irish leprechauns are a type of fairy, so the only female counterparts are Fairies.  

Many holidays are celebrated differently with their traditions and tales. Even if people don’t celebrate they can’t help but find it interesting, and that’s what makes it fun. So happy St. Patrick’s Day, and try not to get pinched!