Leprechauns, Rainbows, Shamrocks and Pots of Gold

Who was St. Patrick and what was he to the Irish people? His name was Maewyn Succat but took on the name Patrick after he became a priest. It is known that his parents were Romans but were living in Britain in charge of the colonies. Patrick was not born a native of Ireland, it is said that he may have been born in Britain or Scotland but it is not known for sure. His exact birth date is not known but thought to be around 375, 387 or 415 AD. It is thought that his death and birth was on March 17^th but that’s speculation.

He was kidnapped when he was a teenager and brought to Ireland by pirates. The young man was kept in captivity for six years. He turned to Christianity being alone and very much afraid. His captors had him working away from everyone as a shepherd. He escaped and walked more than 200 miles from County Mayo to the Irish coast. After his escape, he returned to Britain. Once he got there, he had another encounter in a dream to return back to Ireland, only this time as a missionary.

He spent 15 years in France studying to become a priest and once he was ordained, he was sent to Ireland to minister to Christians and to convert those who were not Christians. He was known as the Apostle of Ireland. Many believe he died in March 17, 460 AD and that’s why St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in honor of the saint. He is buried in a secret grave because the people of Ireland fussed over who should have the honor of his final resting place on their land. Many believe he is buried at Downpatrick, Country Down where there is a permanent memorial.

Source: saintpatricksdayparade.com/life of saint patrick.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick

Leprechauns, rainbows, shamrocks and pots of gold all represent St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2017. Legend says that the four leaf clover will bring luck to it’s finder. At the end of every rainbow, it is said you’ll find a Leprechaun’s pot of gold there. If you can catch the little booger, he’ll give you his gold. If you don’t wear green on St. Paddie’s Day, you’ll be pinched for not doing so. The Irish sure have some strange customs and superstitions!

Why is the color green used to represent St. Patrick’s Day? The original color was blue and the shade was called St. Patrick’s blue. The color green comes from the emerald isle itself, due to it’s landscape. The shamrock is a green three leaf plant that was used to demonstrate the Holy Trinity, three entities, one God. The green shamrock became the symbol for St. Patrick’s Day.

The Leprechaun are wee little people, mostly shoemakers so the tale unfolds. They are mischievous little men who look like midgets but also called fairies. They believe humans to be foolish and greedy. If a human catches a Leprechaun, he'll promise great wealth and will try to bribe his way out of a situation with gold coins which will disappear.

Leprechauns can not be trusted and will disappear in an instant. There are two groups of Leprechaun families, leprechaun and cluricaun. The cluricaun will borrow or steal and cause strife. They come out in the darkness and ride domestic animals through out the country side. The Leprechaun is declared Ireland's national fairy.

Source: http://www.irelandseye.com/animation/explorer/leprechaun.html

One of the favorite dishes among the Irish is, the lamb stew. Personally I've never been able to eat lamb but I'm going to make the stew using all the ingredients required, with the exception of the lamb meat which I will substitute for beef.