• St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Ireland.st patricks day image by Stephen VanHorn from Fotolia.com
  
  March 17, St. Patrick's Day, began as a religious holiday in Ireland about 460 A.D. to honor the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. The symbols associated with St. Patrick's day represent the country of Ireland, its people and folklore. The holiday has become a day of parties and fun, but the symbols remain to remind us of the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day.
  
  

Leprechauns

• Leprechauns have been a part of Irish folklore and legend for centuries. Irish folklore is filled with stories of fairies, gnomes and other mythical beings who used magic. The Celts called leprechauns "lobaircin," which means "small-bodied fellow." Leprechauns in folklore are not the ones that are depicted in American heritage. They were cobblers for the fairies, with a nasty, grumpy personality. The leprechauns hoarded treasure and guarded it fiercely, but were eternally frustrated that their treasure was sometimes revealed to humans when a rainbow appeared.
  
  

Shamrocks

• The shamrock is one of the best known symbols of St. Patrick's day. Shamrocks are found throughout Ireland and considered to be good luck when you find one with four leaves. It became a national emblem around the 17th century when the Irish people wore a shamrock to signify their displeasure with the English, who ruled Ireland at the time, and to show pride in their Irish heritage. The ancient Celts called the shamrock "seamroy." To the Celt, the shamrock symbolized the rebirth of spring and was regarded as a sacred plant. In Irish folklore, St. Patrick used a shamrock to introduce the holy trinity to the Irish people, whom he was trying to convert to Christianity. The three leaves represented the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and the stem symbolized the coming together of the trinity as one.
  
  

The Color Green

• The color green represents the country of Ireland, also called the "Emerald Isle." Ireland has an abundance of green grass and plants due to the constant rain the island receives. Green is also a color associated with spring and new life.