Photo by Amy Reed on Unsplash

Coronavirus fears may be stopping the Saint Patrick’s Day parades but we of Irish descent can still honor those who came before us by remembering why it is we “wear the green.”  I do not claim that the following is an exhaustive history of all that could be said on the subject, but it is good to remember what it cost for Ireland and those of Irish descent to get where we are today.

So, Saint Patrick’s Day is here… ever wondered what the wearing of the green is all about? No, it is not just because it’s St. Patrick’s Day. The original color of the day used to be blue!  No, it is not because of leprechauns. Those stories are just for fun. No, it is not even because Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle, though there is a little bit more to that theory than others I have heard. And no, it is not to “keep the pinches away.”  Actually, the reason for wearing green is rooted in Irish history! (OBVIOUSLY)  Specifically with the push for freedom.

Freedom for Ireland was hard won. The struggle coming in fits and starts. The color green was first used for nationalistic reasons during the Rebellion of 1641, in which displaced Irish Catholics rebelled against the English crown. Ultimately, they were defeated by Oliver Cromwell. Much of what the Irish people endured in the aftermath is barely remembered by history, though evidence is still there to be found by anyone willing to look hard enough– a topic for another time, perhaps.  Anyway, my own family was irrevocably torn by orders carried out under Cromwell’s authority, in which, Irish children were forcibly taken and transported / even sold away from the land.

After these events, the color green took on a deeper meaning. Again in the 1790’s, inspired by the American Revolution and the French Revolution, there was another Irish rebellion. The Society of United Irishmen (seeking a republic) wore green. Their aim was to remove English control from Irish affairs. Their rebellion ended bloody in 1798 with thousands of deaths and more oppression for the Irish people. All of this did not have the effect the English hoped. And the significance of the color green spread in poems and songs, and came to represent freedom for Ireland. Throughout the years of oppression, famine, and beyond, it was carried to other shores by Irish people forcibly expelled or willingly immigrating from their land. They and their descendants wore the green as a reminder of the homeland and of those who lived, fought and died for Ireland’s freedom (the ultimate bittersweet victory resulted only after much more heartache and bloodshed following the Irish declaration of independence in 1919.)   Now again, there is a LOT more that could be said about all of this, but this is only a simple, partial history of the wearing of the green in honor of #IrishAmericanHeritageMonth

So, even though there may not be a parade or an event or any of those things we look forward to every year, wear the green and honor the day by remembering the ones who came before you! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

The whole month of March is Irish American Heritage Month in the US. Which is awesome. 🥳 ☘️ Learn more here. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/irish-american-heritage-month-march/

Today I am thankful for my Irish heritage. In honor of that, I will share this link with some interesting St. Patrick’s Day facts. https://www.ireland.com/en-us/articles/st-patricks-day/

Enjoy! While I take the day to spend with my family as we celebrates our heritage with a traditional feast!