Shamrocks, Leprechauns and Stikii!

Every year on March 17th (tomorrow), St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in various countries around the world. The celebration honors the saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death many centuries ago. In honor of the predominantly green holiday (Stikii loves green if you haven’t noticed), we thought we would provide you with the lowdown on all things St. Patrick’s Day!

History

St. Patrick lived during the fifth century and was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland; however, he was not an Ireland native. In fact, Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain and was brought to Ireland to live as a slave after being kidnapped when he was only 16 years old. Eventually he was able to escape this life, but would eventually return to Ireland and help to deliver the message of Christianity to its people. Since Saint Patrick’s death (estimated to have been March 17, 461 A.D.) the folklore surrounding his life became a part of the Irish culture. One legend believed to be true by many is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of an Irish clover – better known to us as a shamrock.

Irish Roman Catholics have been celebrating St. Patrick’s feast day on March 17 since around the 9th or 10th century, but surprisingly, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in the United States! On March 17, 1762, Irish soldier serving as members of the English military marched through New York City. The parade was a symbol of their Irish roots. Over the next few decades, Irish patriotism in America grew, instigating the rise of “Irish Aid” societies like the Hibernian Society. These groups would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes and drums.

In the mid-19th century, many American Irish immigrants were considered Protestant middle class citizens. When the Great Potato Famine spread across Ireland in 1845, nearly 1 million underclass Irish Catholics traveled to the United States to escape starvation and death. Because their religious beliefs and actions were unfamiliar to the American Protestant population, these immigrants had difficulty finding even the tiniest jobs. When the Irish Americans held their parades, newspapers portrayed the newcomers ad drunk and violent monkeys.

Eventually the American Irish started to realize that their large numbers could offer them political power and they began to rally and organize their own voting bloc, which they cleverly named the “green machine”. This became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. It was then that St. Patrick’s Day parades became a symbol of strength and unity among the Irish Americans.

Today, people of various backgrounds celebrate the holiday, especially in the USA, Canada and Australia. Even Japan, Singapore and Russia participate in the festivities. Up until the 1970s, the holiday was a religious occasion in which bars and pubs were required by law to be closed. Today, millions of people celebrate the holiday with parades, concerts, fireworks, dance shows, music, green beer, shamrocks, green and more.

 Symbols and Traditions

The Shamrock – This was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland, said to symbolize the “rebirth” of spring, and eventually became symbolic of emerging Irish nationalism.

Corned Beef – the traditional meal of St. Patrick’s Day is corned beef and cabbage. Irish immigrants substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money, and it is still a common celebratory meal today.

Leprechauns – Belief in Leprechauns is thought to stem back to the Celtic belief in fairies. In Celtic stories, leprechauns were said to be cranky, and responsible for mending the shoes of other fairies. They were also known for their trickery which they used to protect their “treasure of gold”. Americans (with the help of Walt Disney’s film called Darby O’Gill and the Little People) used their own imagination to transform these men into cheerful and friendly little characters.

St. Patrick’s Day Facts (http://www.wrdw.com/seasonal/misc/40129602.html)

  • St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. Green became associated with St. Patrick’s Day during the 19th century. Green, in Irish legends, was worn by fairies and immortals, and also by people to encourage their crops to grow.
  • St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland; the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to Christianity.
  • In Chicago, on St. Patrick’s Day, the rivers are dyed green.

 

 

  • In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads.
  • Most Catholics attend mass in the morning and then attend the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
  • Shamrocks are worn on the lapel on this day.
  • In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair
  • Many young people dye their hair green for the special day.
  • Many people wear green on this holiday to avoid being pinched.
  • The phrase, “Drowning The Shamrock” is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.
  • Many bars in the United States, and abroad, serve green beer to celebrate St. Patty’s Day.
  • Lucky Charms, a favorite cereal brand among many, young and old, was created in 1963, with its popular mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun. Some other traditions you may recognize include:

Other St, Patrick’s Day Traditions you may recognize include:

  • Adding green food coloring to various food items such as milk, pancakes, eggs, cakes and cookies!

 

  • “Jiggs Dinner” – a traditional Newfoundland meal made up of beef, boiled potatoes, carrots, cabbage, turnips, etc. This is often slow-cooked all day in a crock pot.

 

  • Leprechaun Visits – Many children will put their shoes outside of their bedrooms on St. Patrick’s Day eve for the leprechauns to come and “repair”. Often the creatures will leave money, gold candy coins and a sprinkle of green dust in the shoes after their visit!
  • Four-leaf Clovers – This shamrock has one extra leaf, representing “God’s Grace”. This is said to be extremely lucky. So hang onto it if you find one!

 

To keep in the spirit of the holiday, Stikii suggests putting a pair of Groovy Green Stikii shoes on your children’s feet. This will keep them festive and in the spirit while celebrating! We hope that everyone has a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day, and may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Don’t forget to vote for Stikii in Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” contest by visiting www.ohiowins.com!