The Wearing of the Green on St. Patrick's Day

By Liz Page

They say there's a wee bit of Irish in all of us, or at least most of us, at least on St. Patrick's Day. It is a religious celebration in Ireland and when the Irish immigrated to the United States, they brought along this celebration.

The Feast of Saint Patrick is a religious and cultural holiday held on March 17, the traditional date of the death of Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick was actually British, but was kidnapped by Irish pirates and became a slave (sheep tender) in Ireland. He escaped to return to his family in Britain, but eventually left them to return to Ireland and share the message of Christ until his death around 461 A.D.

There are myths surrounding him, such as that he drove all the snakes from Ireland, which has no snakes.

The celebration originated with the Irish Catholics and has many symbols and traditions.

The shamrock, it is said, was used by St. Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland, to explain the Trinity (three leaves, not four) to the pagans although there is no proof the shamrock was sacred to the pagan Irish. It may have simply been a representative of the regenerative powers of nature. Hence, St. Patrick was sometimes depicted with a cross in one hand and a sprig of shamrocks in the other.

Green is the color associated with Ireland and the celebration. Whatever the symbolism, it dates back to at least the 1680's according to history. The phrase "wearing of the green" comes from the song by the same name. The song is related to rebelling against the British, when wearing green clothing or shamrocks was an act of rebellion that was punishable by death in some cases. It made the color green and the shamrock symbols of Irish pride.

The day is also the middle day of spring on the Irish calendar. After the date, farmers would begin planting potatoes.

Oh now, where did the leprechaun hop into all of this. The leprechaun is part of Irish folklore and is depicted as a tiny old man, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. He lives in a remote place where he makes shoes and brogues (boots). His presence may be revealed by the tapping of his hammer. It is said that he has a hidden crock of gold and if you can catch him he must reveal the hiding place of that gold. Usually, however, he tricks his captor into glancing away and he vanishes. He is described as impish, happy and mischievous.

My vision of the leprechaun has a beard, a belt buckle on his hat, with a four-leafed clover (shamrock) striped white and green stockings to match his green suit. His ears may be a little funky too. The hat is a derby or a top hat with a belt and a buckle.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade was actually held in the United States in 1737.

How about the Irish jig. which can also be called step dancing. It is the very basic step to Irish music and is considered a good cardiovascular workout. There are other forms of dance, but the jig is the one most associated with Irish culture. It became popular in 16th century England and refers to old dance, according to Wikipedia. It is kept in 6/8 time.

The four-leafed clover is considered a good luck charm. It is a genetic mutation of the shamrock, which is clover, the fourth leaf, a sign of good luck. There isn't much to back this up, but the four-leafed clover is an Irish symbol of good luck.

On college campuses, St. Patrick's Day often involves guzzling green colored beer. If you look on the internet, there are more recipes for making beer green than you could imagine.

Corned beef and cabbage is standard fare in the U.S. on St. Patrick's Day. The tradition is more American than Irish. The Irish used ham, a cheaper meat that was more available in Ireland. However, beef was more readily available in the U.S. where immigrants substituted beef brisket for ham. The beef brisket is brined before cooking. You can find numerous recipes on the internet.

Another traditional food served on St. Patrick's Day is Irish Soda Bread. It is billed as a staple of Irish households, each having its version of the recipe. It was used to finish off hearty stews and wash down pots of tea. It was an affordable necessity to help alleviate the food problems Ireland faced at times. Native Americans actually discovered soda bread that was replicated by the Irish to become a staple. It does not yeast, but baking soda. It was discovered around 1830 and was used during the great famine. It could also be cooked on griddles or in iron pots. With many farms isolated, soda bread helped with the lack of ovens as well. The bread was eaten with the main meals.

I had never had Irish Soda Bread, so I made my own a few years ago and it was delicious. Each family has their own versions, come use raisins, some use caraway seeds and some use fruits and nuts.

There are a wealth of recipes and ideas to help celebrate St. Patricks, just a mouse-click away.

I think most people think of St. Patrick's Day as a day to celebrate Irish heritage. They will eat corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and drink green beer. It is a happy occasion to wear something green in honor of Irish heritage, whether you have a wee bit in ya, or not.