ST. PATRICK´S DAY.

Next 17 March, many people in the world will have a celebration. It is St. Patrick´s Day, a cultural and  religious holiday commemorating the death of Saint Patrick, who took Christianity into Ireland and is since then the patron saint of that country. He is even said to have taken snakes out of Ireland (That´s the way the Irish explain the absence of snakes in the island)

Millions of people around the world celebrate St. Patrick´s Day

We say that it is celebrated in Ireland, of course, but also by the millions of Irish descendants all over the world. They remember in that way their Irish identity, which must never be lost.

                                                           

This day is particularly famous for several symbols and traditions. Let´s see some of them:


WEARING OF THE GREEN



Everything becomes green on 17 March, even Chicago River.

You can drink some "green" beer

Green is the colour associated to Ireland. The island has also been known as "The Emerald island" due to the evergreen colour of their fields. In addition, green was the colour used by Irish soldiers in the 1798 rebellion against the British. The repression they suffered from the British army gave birth to the street ballad "The Wearing of the Green". That´s why many people around the world wear any green clothing on 17 March. This celebration has become so important in countries such as the United States that 90% of its population celebrate St. Patrick´s Day.

Watch out! There exists the tradition of pinching those people who forget to wear something green on March 17.



THE SHAMROCK

The shamrock is a very common plant in Ireland and it was chosen as the national emblem because of the legend that St. Patrick had used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity is the idea that God is really three-in-one: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Apart from that, Irish people consider shamrocks as good-luck symbols.

The shamrock is one of the main symbols of Ireland

LEPRECHAUNS

We are sure you have seen before the image of a leprechaun. They are small fairies that look like small old men. According to legends, they are unfriendly and live alone. They also have a hidden pot of gold. If you trap a leprechaun, you must keep your eyes on him every second. If you stop doing it for just a moment, he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

Leprechauns hide a treasure

HARPS

Harps are ancient musical instruments used in Ireland for centuries. It has also become a symbol of Ireland and you can see it on Irish coins, the presidential flag, uniforms and official documents.

The Irish harp is found in many places around the country



THE CELTIC CROSS

When St. Patrick went to Ireland to take Christianity, he didn´t try to make the Irish forget their old beliefs. One example of this is the Celtic Cross, combining the Christian symbol of the cross with the sun, a powerful Irish symbol.



The Celtic Cross

TRADITIONAL SONGS 

There are lots of traditional songs in Ireland. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to listen to them sung by Irish people in a pub or on any celebration. Here you have some of the most popular ones: "Molly Malone" , "Whiskey in the Jar" and "The Wild Rover". There is also a promotional video of Ireland, one of the most impressive countries in the world. And a piece of advice: "Go to Ireland as soon as you can. You´ll never regret."

  

 

To end with, and to show the strong feeling of identitity and the enormous pride Irish people feel for being Irish, we leave you with the images of the Spain-Ireland football match in last Euro 2012. Spain was winning 4-0. Suddenly, a song started to be heard along the stands of the Gdansk stadium. Were the Spanish fans singing to celebrate the win? The answer is no. The Irish supporters sang a traditional Irish song (The Fields of Athenry, a song set on the Irish Great Famine) to tell their players that the result was not so important. They were all Irish and they would be united no matter they won or lost. Sometimes, defeats are even sweeter than victories.