St. Patrick’s day is a holiday that some people really get into and love. But what actually is St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland and is a religious holiday. This Christian holiday honors St. Patrick who was an apostle of Ireland. There are many symbols that we use for St. Patrick’s Day. Some are food such as corn beef and cabbage, green beer, and parades. But let’s talk about some very common symbols that you may see around while you are shopping or even notice the day is St. Patrick’s Day.

Shamrocks

Shamrock is one you may see all over the place. It comes from the Irish word that means young clover. It is Ireland’s national plant. It is a symbol of Ireland and also a symbol of St. Patrick and the holiday. When St. Patrick came to Ireland in the fifth century as a missionary he use the shamrock to help teach Christianity. He used it to teach about the three trinities; The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three leaves from the Shamrock have many meanings now, one is faith, hope, and love. And of course, you have the four-leaf clover that is good luck.

Color Green

You can’t have St. Patrick’s Day without the color green. When St. Patrick’s Day first started it wasn’t green it was blue. But blue was also the color that was associated with Britain and during that time Irish nationalists were trying to distance themselves from Britain. So slowly the blue started to fade and the green color became the symbol of St. Patrick’s Day. They also went with the color green because St. Patrick used shamrocks when he spread Christianity. Ireland is called Emerald Island because of its beautiful green landscape and green has become a pride in Irish culture.

Wearing Green

Green is very important on St. Patrick’s Day so much so that if you don’t wear green you may get pinched. The color green was worn as a sign of Irish nationalism. It was worn as the symbol of Irish pride and loyalty. Now just like many holidays have their colors, St. Patrick’s Day continues to have it green. Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day honors the Irish. There are two reasons why people wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. 1, so they do not get pinched and show pride. 2, mythology says if you wear green then you are invisible to the leprechauns. They like to pinch and if you wear green you can blend in and avoid being pinched.

Leprechauns

Leprechauns come from Irish folklore and Celtic belief. They believed that leprechauns were small, mischievous, cranking fairies with magical powers. They were known for being cobblers of the fairy world meaning they made shoes. They believe they were paid in gold and they hid the gold at the end of a rainbow. If you caught the leprechaun then you could make three wishes but you had to be careful because they were tricksters and pranksters and could escape. Today we still think the same thing about leprechauns, the only thing that has changed is their dress. They now are green where before they wear red.

Custom Chainsaw Carvings, Carved Family Name Signs Picked Up or Shipped from Lincoln, Montana & Nampa, Idaho

St. Patrick’s Day can be a fun, exciting holiday day. If you love St. Patrick’s Day and would love to get some decorations or give a gift to someone who loves it, Carve Me A Bear! Chainsaw Carvings would love to carve you a shamrock, leprechaun or other carving to put up for St. Patrick’s Day.