St Patrick’s Day is on March 17th every year. The day was originally for celebrating the patron Saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country. Now, It’s all about Ireland and Irish culture. Here’s a playlist with a mix of Celtic, Irish, Folk and Scottish music for you.

Plug your smartphone into your vehicle, connect via Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Click the link below, sit back, relax and enjoy the Irishness.

More about St. Patrick’s Day

Now a celebration of Irish culture, around the World, St Patrick’s day has become a fairly big deal. More so than St. George’s Day in England and St. Andrews Day in Scotland.

You’ll see a sea of green everywhere on St.Patrick’s Day. From clothing to cookies and it’s now a custom to wear green on the day. The original color associated with St.Patrick was actually blue, however, St. Patrick used a shamrock (which is green) to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish Pagans.

The Shamrock became a symbol of Irish Catholic Nationalism. People would pick shamrocks and put them on their clothing for St. Patrick’s Day (wearing of green). In 1798 There was an Irish Rebellion, in which The Saint and the ‘wearing of green’ (which became taken as wearing green clothes) were used politically against the British rule. Their uniforms were green 1.

  • St. Patrick himself wasn’t Irish (He was British)
  • He spent 6 years in captivity where he converted to Christianity
  • He then worked as a Christian missionary
  • Ireland is named the Emerald Isle
  • ‘Shamrocks’ don’t exist. They are wood sorrel or clovers.
  • Paddy is short for Patrick (hence the St. Paddy’s Day)

Luck of the Irish

“According to Edward T. O’Donnell, an Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross College and author of ‘1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History,’ the term is not Irish in origin. During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. . . .Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression ‘luck of the Irish.’ Of course, it carried with it a certain tone of derision, as if to say, only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains, could these fools succeed” 3.

Leprechauns

A mystical creature some say are the original inhabitants of Ireland, before the Celts 4. Little fairy-like men with beards who bring luck and live underground.

Food

Corned beef and cabbage is a national dish of Ireland. Here is a recipe to get you started. Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage.

 

What are you going to do on St. Patrick’s Day?

History.com Staff
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day