GREEN DOMINATES ST. PATRICK’S DAY FOR A REASON
Why Green Is the Color of St. Patrick’s Day
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green. Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its official color. Blue was the first color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.”
Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because of the plentiful green foliage that adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two. Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
What caused the shift from blue to green is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday.
Take a Break!
COLCANNON When you think of St. Patrick’s Day cuisine, corned beef and green beer are probably the first things that come to mind. This year, consider adding colcannon to your March 17 menu. It’s basically mashed potatoes on steroids, and it’s utterly delicious.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound cooked bacon, chopped into small pieces 4 scallions, finely chopped Parsley, for garnish Salt and pepper, to taste
3 pounds potatoes 2 sticks butter 1 1/4 cups hot milk 1 head cabbage, cored and shredded
DIRECTIONS 1. Steampotatoes for 30 minutes. Peel skins andmash flesh thoroughly. 2. Chop 1 stick of butter into small cubes and add to warmpotatoes. Once melted, slowly addmilk, stirring constantly. 3. Boil cabbage in water.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to tenderize.
4. Add cabbage, bacon, and
scallions tomashed potatoes, gently stirring to combine. 5. Serve garnished with parsley and a pat of butter.
Recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com
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