Little Leprechauns and Green Clothes

          St. Patric's Day is a day celebrating the Irish cultures and a certain bishop that lived in Ireland around 385 A.D. And you won't believe his name. Well if you haven't figured it out yet it was Saint Patric! According to Wikipedia. "He was born in Ireland in 385 AD into a very wealthy family, but he was kidnapped by a band of Irish raiders at the age of sixteen. After six years it was said he got a vision to go to the coast were a boat was waiting there for him to take him home. After he got home by boat he became a priest and was credited with bringing Christianity to the people of Ireland as well as many other things."

          The first Saint Patric's Day took place in Ireland shortly after the death of St. Patric, but the St. Patric's parade wasn't a festivity of Ireland's until the the 20th century. Which is really weird because North America Celebrated St. Patric's Day with a parade even before the Irish did. Starting in the 18th century. St. Patric's Day was celebrated in Ireland in many other ways (besides the parade). One was by wearing the color green and or a green shamrock ( a clover ). But a strange tradition that I have found is that even though the holiday was about respecting St. Patric a priest from Ireland and celebrated by many Christians across Europe. On this specific holiday Christian leaders would let the people of Ireland and others to break the rule about the consumption or drinking of ale and alcohol. Another of the festivities of St. Patric's day was to have a feast similar to Thanksgiving just with different food one of the main dishes is Corned Beef and Cabbage and the beverages they usually drank were alcohol and or ale as it said in the sentence before. But during the toast while the feast occurred people would put a shamrock into their alcohol and drink it and if they didn't swallow the clover they would throw it over their left shoulder and this would be a act that would bring them luck.

         Now I know what you are going to say next. How does the Leprechauns fit into the big picture? Well leprechauns are mythical creature from Irish folklore. They are depicted as a mischievous little men that are dressed in green, has a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, and if you catch this creature he will give you three wishes in exchange for his freedom similar to a genie. But a cool thing I read about is that Leprechauns used to not be depicted wearing a green suit they used to wear a red suit instead! St. Patric's Day is a very awesome holiday and it was cool to learn of it's traditions and history. It is a very well known holiday, and now I know a little more about why it is so well known what it's festivities are, and it's history rich. And might I say it is a very cool holiday!

-Phoenix Oliver