EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN
St Patrick’s Day 2021: 16 memes, images and quotes to celebrate
MARCH 17 is St Patrick’s Day where Irish people celebrate their culture the world over.
People take to the streets for parades and parties in a sea of green making it one of the most popular Patron Days in the world.
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What symbols and images are associated with Ireland and St Patrick's Day?
Irish tricolour
The Irish flag is known as the Irish tricolour.
The green vertical stripe on the left stands for Irish Catholics, while the orange stripe on the right represents Irish Protestants.
The central white stripe also represents the hope for peace between the two groups.
Leprechauns
These mythical, mischievous, sprites or fairies are closely associated with the Irish.
They are usually depicted as wearing green clothes and traditionally worked as cobblers and they're known for leaving pots of gold at the end of rainbows.
If you manage to catch one they are meant to grant you three wishes.
Nowadays, leprechauns are mainly used as a tourist symbol for the country.
There is even a Leprechaun Museum in Dublin.
Shamrock
The Shamrock, or three-leaf clover, is also closely linked to all-things Irish.
It represents the holy trinity; the father, the son and the holy ghost.
Finding a four-leaf Shamrock is said to bring the finder good luck.
Snakes
Legend has it St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
This isn't true as there never were snakes in the country.
St Patrick though did encourage many pagans to turn to Christianity and the snake is a symbol of evil in the religion.
Harp
The musical instrument the harp is also a widely used symbol for depicting the Emerald Isle.
Not only does it feature on the country's coins but also used by Guinness to advertise their popular brand of stout.
Elizabeth I had many instruments destroyed and harpists executed as a way of trying to wipeout Irish culture.
Celtic Cross
As a way of trying to convert the pagans to Christianity, St Patrick adapted the traditional Christian cross as a way for them to associate with it.
He had a sun, a highly symbolic image for pagans, incorporated into the cross.
Quotes
“For the whole world is Irish on the Seventeenth o' March!
Thomas Augustine Daly
“Yeah, it's St. Paddy's Day. Everyone's Irish tonight.”
Norman Reedus
“The list of Irish saints is past counting; but in it all no other figure is so human, friendly, and lovable as St. Patrick.”
Stephen Gwynn
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"Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be."
St Patrick
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"St. Patrick's Day is a day to celebrate our green heritage. The ancestry of Ireland. It is a day to celebrate what it means to be Irish and of Irish descent."
Anthony T Hicks
"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time—a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."
Adrienne Cook
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