St. Patrick’s Day is a much-anticipated event every year! It’s an opportunity to celebrate, pay tribute to Irish culture and honour certain traditions! Starting with dressing in green! But why does it have to be this color? Here are some explanations…
If green is a color that represents Ireland, there are 2 distinct explanations.
The first explanation concerns the nature of the Irish landscape, known for its lush greenery.
Indeed, Ireland is often referred to as “Green Erin” or the “Emerald Isle”. These words all refer to the fact that the island is known for its verdant landscapes. It has to be said that the recurrent rain has given the grass a neon green color found nowhere else in the world!
Here’s a first clue as to why Ireland is so symbolized by the color green… It’s the epitome of Ireland’s ever-present wilderness!
But that’s not all! Saint Patrick, the patron saint known for converting Ireland to Christianity in the 5th century, is also said to have green as his symbol today.
A fact that has not always been the case in the past. Historically speaking, Saint Patrick was originally associated with the color blue. It was only much later that green became its official color. (This change is thought to have been made gradually on the Irish-American side, and then to have spread to Ireland during the 18th century).
This change would have been made to fit in better with the image of the green Ireland we know. The saint is also said to have used a green Irish shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Kings of Ireland. A high, green symbol that has helped to tip the balance in favor of tradition.
On Saint Patrick’s Day, it’s customary to wear green. Leprechaun costume, green T-shirt or pants… Cheek make-up… Most Irish people are happy to play along and rival each other in imagination!
Legend has it that anyone wearing green on that day would become invisible to malevolent leprechauns. Tradition even has it that people who don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day can be pinched by others as punishment!
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