Wearing of the Green

by

Linda Broday here. Hey, are you wearing green? Do you know why you’re supposed to? I grew up totally ignorant of the reason. I just knew I didn’t want to be pinched by the boys at school. I did know the holiday originated in Ireland and the Irish immigrants brought it to America but little else.

How about you?

Here’s the scoop. We celebrate to honor Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century.

But back up a minute. Patrick was abducted at the age of sixteen and brought to the Emerald Isle as a slave. He escaped and later returned to convert the Irish to Christianity. He used the three leaves of a shamrock, which grows wild in Ireland, to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost with the stem uniting all three.

That’s something I did not know.

But the Irish got on board with him and turned from paganism, which was a good thing.

Still, why is green worn?

Seems the custom is due to political origins that go back to the Great Irish Rebellion in 1641.This uprising was due to the Catholic leaders opposing the English crown and they adopted a green flag with a harp on it. Green also reappeared during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Yet, I wondered why it’s customary to pinch someone failing to wear green. The answer is folklore. Green is supposed to make you invisible to leprechauns. They can see those wearing different colors so the mischievous little things pinch them. It’s a lighthearted belief to inspire us to wear green. Boys especially love to pinch.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a global celebration. There are parades and other festivities meant to highlight Irish culture and nurture community spirit and pride. And to eliminate discrimination, which is always a good thing.

We celebrate with green beer, various clothing and hats, and the Chicago River is dyed green, among other ways we celebrate.

But in Ireland, it’s still a religious holiday and continue to pay tribute to St. Patrick. By the way, he established many, many monasteries, churches, and schools before he died on March 17, 461.

In all my 50+ published books, I’ve never written any around St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe I should remedy that. Who knows what will inspire me?

Do you do anything to celebrate? Maybe eat the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage or wear green? I’ll give away a $10 Amazon gift card in a drawing from the commenters.

Website |  + posts

Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules/

87 thoughts on “Wearing of the Green”

  1. I will be wearing green in honor of the day. My church had an Irish dinner after church yesterday and I made an Irish Tea Cake. More importantly, March 17 was my paternal grandmother’s birthday!

    • Ginni, wow, that’s awesome! Happy Birthday to your grandmother in heaven! You could always remember her special day. Wish I could have a piece of your Irish Tea Cake!! Thank you so much for coming.

  2. Growing up, my mom cooked corned beef and cabbage for St. Pat’s day. I prefer to bake an Irish soda bread (I put raisins in mine as I’ve never purchased currants and wouldn’t even know where to find them). I will wear green.

    • Denise, that’s great. I think a lot of us will be decked out in green. That’s about the extent of my celebrating. It’s always wonderful to see your name in the comments.

  4. I will wear a St. Patrick’s Day T-Shirt and some fun jewelry. I had planned to do some pranks at school from the Leprechaun, but we didn’t have school today. I was going to put green food coloring in the toilet and turn over some of the furniture. Oh, well there’s always next year. And I’m thankful we didn’t get the bad storms or a tornado ( the reason school was closed).

    • Connie, the kids always have a ball and your prank would’ve been fun. There’s no school here today either. I have a pretty green turtleneck, and like you, a necklace and earrings. We’re having a potluck here today so yummy food.

  5. I am going to be wearing leprechaun ?? drop earrings and shamrock ?? rainbow ? socks with gold glitter shamrocks lol
    I’d love to have a tshirt to wear but didn’t get one in time. Bummer lol

  6. I am going to be wearing leprechaun ?? drop earrings and shamrock ?? rainbow ? socks with gold glitter shamrocks lol
    I’d love to have a tshirt to wear but didn’t get one in time. Bummer lol

  8. I was born on St. Patrick’s Day, so I have a green blouse that I usually wear and we do celebrate usually by going out to dinner. This year, however, we are in Kenya so it will be different.

    • Sharon, yummy! I love cabbage but never had corned beef with it. I’ll have lots of green on today and we’re having a potluck here. Aways glad to see you.

  10. I taught elementary school for 39 years. Each year, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green and sometimes having green snacks. The kids were all about pinching those who did not wear green. I made sure I had green shamrock stickers to give out to those students/teachers/others who did not have on green. It was so fun seeing everyone wear “green” clothing.
    My late husband and I went to Emerald Isle, NC each year to their St. Patrick’s celebration. We loved the children’s contest, parade, games, and food. How I miss those days!

    • Susan, yes those boys pinch everyone! They really get into this holiday. How wonderful that you and hubby went to the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Ireland. I’m sorry it’s only memories now. My high school great nephew from Dallas is marching in their parade today. We’re so excited about that. Have a lovely “green” day!

  11. I used to wear green when I was in school and when I was still working – like you to avoid being pinched – , but these days it’s just another day on the calendar.

    • Linda R, I have to confess, some years I just can’t find the energy to get into the mood and it becomes just another day. No shame in that. Enjoy your day, whatever you’re doing or wearing.

  13. Well, I’m not Irish. But I do enjoy making corned beef – without cabbage – in my instant pot every year.

  14. Happy St. Patrick’s Day Linda & all the Fillies.
    I’m wearing green also, no one’s going to pinch me. May the Luck of the Irish be with everyone today.

    • Dear Miss Tonya, how awesome to see your name pop up!! Enjoy your “green” day. We’re celebrating with a potluck here. Yes, we can sure use some of that Luck of the Irish!!! Love you dearly.

  16. Don’t have a special meal planned but used to always wear green years ago when in school. I do find the history interesting as I have discovered some Irish ancestry through my genealogy research.

    Enjoyed your article!

    • Catherine, I’m glad you discovered your Irish ancestry. I, too, have a lot of Irish descendants. I’ve often wondered what their lives were like. 🙂 Enjoy your day, whatever you wind up doing. We’re having a potluck here today and I’ll wear my green.

  17. We have always tried to fix corn beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s day ! And when I was younger would wear green to keep from getting pinched lol

    • Sarah, thanks for stopping by. Corned Beef and Cabbage should bring you luck!! Celebrate however you want. I like this holiday better after I learned several years ago my ancestors were Irish.

  19. Loved learning these St. Patrick’s Day facts, Linda. I’m wearing green today. Shirt and pants. 🙂 My next heroine is Irish-American, so I’ve been a little more interested in Irish traditions of late.

    • Karen, now you have me really looking forward to your next book with the Irish heroine! I’m really enjoying this Spinster series. Taming Lady Temperance was the kind of story I always wished I could write. She was very complicated. Glad I could help with the research! Some of this I did not know at all. Glad you enjoyed it. I had wondered if anyone would as much as I did.

    • Jackie, I’m not much on corned beef either, but I love cabbage. Wonder if it helps to attract money like they say. Thanks for helping me make this holiday fun.

  21. I usually make sure to wear green otherwise I get pinched, my mom finds that very funny so she does it a lot 🙂 But other than that don’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,

  22. We fix corned beef and cabbage. We have doctor’s appointments today, so we had our wonderful meal last night. God bless you.

  23. We really don’t celebrate St Patrick’s Day. When I was in school and when I worked, I tried to remember to wear green. Since I’m retired and rarely do anything special I don’t do anything to celebrate. Normal work around the house. Maybe I need to use it as an excuse to go out and celebrate. lol

  24. I’ve always worn green on St. Patrick’s Day. For the last several years, it has been a green sweater with a gold shamrock embroidered just below the shoulder that I bought when I went there. I also enjoyed seeing St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.

    • Janice that sounds like a cute sweater. I envy you your trip to Ireland. I have tons of Irish ancestors and always wanted to go there. Bet that cathedral was so interesting and beautiful.

  27. I don’t like corned beef and cabbage so no I don’t eat the traditional meal. I do have a St Patrick’s Day garden flag out waving in the WIND. I actually forgot to wear green but I do have green in my necklace. lol

  28. Definitely Corned Beef and Cabbage along with the wearin’ of the green! A good stout to go with the corned beef makes a great meal!

  29. The man who inspired St. Patrick’s day was truly incredible. You can see that God’s hand guided his life. As far as celebrating goes, I usually try to wear green and like to make Irish soda bread. 🙂

    • Bridget, I agree. God was very instrumental in Patrick’s life. He always put God first and spread the gospel. That Irish Soda bread sounds delightful. Thanks for reading my post.

  33. Linda, this was so interesting. I always took it for granted that we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, but never thought why. Makes me wonder how many other things we do without thinking about it or understanding.
    Thanks for the suggestion of corned beef and cabbage, which I love, but I already have Irish Stew on the stove. Love the info!

    • Lynne, that’s so true. I’ve gone through life not knowing who St. Patrick was. I enjoyed learning as I wrote this post. Enjoy your Irish Stew! It sounds delightful. Thanks for coming.

  35. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!! I am wearing my green, listening to my Irish music and dinner will be corned beef and cabbage.

  38. I wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. Hot Springs Arkansas has the shortest St Patrick’s Day parade and I have attended.

  39. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Linda!
    I knew some of those things about Saint Patrick’s Day, but not all. Thank you for sharing this with us!
    Thank you again,
    Julie Bullock

  40. Hello. Welcome today. I grew up in a very Irish household. It was only after I was married and my husband got into genealogy that I learned my origins. LOL. I am only 20 percent Irish. Oh well. I have always enjoyed celebrating St. Paddies dat. Yes we always have corned beef, carrots, potatoes and home made biscuits. When our kids were in grade school I thought I would go all out. I made them green eggs, along with bacon and toast with gooseberry jam (green). They did not eat the eggs or jam. Oh well. LOL They are now 41 and 39 and we all still laugh about it.

  41. Hi Linda. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Lots of good info and things I didn’t know. My family was a little Irish but we were a little everything. Always wore green, mostly because my mother told us we should. As for the meal, it’s been corned beef and cabbage forever but there’s always so much left that this year I have a hearty stew in the slow cooker that we’ll have with crusty bread and for dessert greenish chocolate chip cookies. Feels traditional enough. Enjoy your day.
    xo
    sally

  42. My mom would say,”There’s nothing Irish about us.” and she would wear something green anyway. I forgot to today but I am going to make Irish stew for supper. I usually make Irish soda bread for breakfast and didn’t this year. I may make it to go with the stew. Growing up we had lots of friends and neighbors who had ancestors from Ireland so St Patrick’s Day was celebrated a lot in our area.

  43. I am wearing green today. I also made Irish soda bread and a delicious dessert decorated with green decorations to enjoy with my family.

  44. Hi Linda, I just wear green, when our daughter and our son(who are now all grown up with little families of their own) we used to make corned beef, but not with the cabbage, we would also wear green and I made sure they wore green for sure. Now it’s just my husband and I so I just make sure I wear green. I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for joining us today. Have a great rest of the day “Happy St. Patricks Day”

  47. I usually fix a traditional meal for the extended family on the Sunday nearest St. Patrick’s Day. It didn’t happen this year because I had COVID, but I hope to be able to do it this coming weekend. I fix three different types of Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage (although I have done other main dishes), Guinness chocolate cake and Irish Coffee Pie, with Guinness and Killian’s beer. Later in the evening there might just be a cup of Irish Coffee. I always wear green. and decorate the house (that didn’t happen this year). There is a big St. Patrick’s celebration in town on the weekend with a 5K, parade, vendors, Irish food, and Irish music. Sadly I missed it this year. There was also an Irish band performing in concert last week, but sadly I couldn’t go. We try to attend any Irish performances in the area any time of the yea. My Irish heritage is deep in my heart. We hope to travel there this Fall. Hopefully the third try we will make it.

    Coffee Pie.

Comments are closed.