Every year on March 17th, Irish people around the world don green clothing and accessories to celebrate the Republic of Ireland’s national holiday- Saint Patrick’s Day. The celebrations often include parades and festivals filled with traditional Irish music, dancing, and other joyful tributes to the nation many call ‘The Emerald Isle.’
While COVID-19’s impact on Canada and the resulting social distancing measures have stopped celebrations in their tracks for the time being, that doesn’t have to prevent students from getting into the spirit of the holiday! So settle in and allow us to sham-rock your world with five fun facts about Saint Patrick’s Day!
People didn’t always wear green!
Contrary to popular belief, the colour green was not always a key aspect of Saint Patrick’s Day festivities. The holiday is dedicated to Ireland’s patron saint, who is often credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Nowadays, he is commonly depicted wearing green robes. However, his robes were originally blue! The shift from blue to green was initiated by Irish nationalists attempting to distance Ireland from the blue of the British flag, but the colour came to represent Irish patriotism over time, especially due to its representation of Ireland’s green landscapes.
Ireland doesn’t have snakes!
One of Saint Patrick's most iconic myths is of him leading the snakes of Ireland to an early demise in the sea, ridding the isle of the reptile once and for all. The tale, though fun, is inaccurate. Ireland never had snakes due to the fact that it's an island. In modern-day, owning snakes is somewhat of a status symbol, though there still isn't a population outside captivity.
Saint Patrick was actually British!
Though celebrated primarily by the Irish, Saint Patrick has no relation to the Celtic peoples. Patrick was born in Britain to a Roman family, though he was captured and enslaved in Ireland at age sixteen. He managed to escape, though would later return to the Emerald Isle in order to bring Christianity to the Irish pagans.
Shamrocks are no sham!
One popular tale of Saint Patrick has him using a shamrock (or clover) in order to explain the holy trinity to an Irish convert. Patrick used the three leaves to represent the holy trinity, while explaining their connection by using the single stalk of the plant. In honour of the tale, it has become tradition for Irish men to wear a shamrock on their lapels on March 17th.
It wasn't always party city!
Over the years, Saint Patrick’s Day has grown into a merry and lively occasion, filled with rambunctious parties and crowded pubs. However, the holiday originated as a solemn religious affair. In fact, up until the 1970s, pubs in Ireland were closed on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Although celebrations this year couldn’t consist of crowded streets and dancing leprechauns, many Irish families found their own ways to celebrate their culture and heritage.
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