"Wearing of the Green": Symbology of the Shamrock

Mar 11, 2011
Alexis J Hyatt

The Traditional Three-leaf Shamrock - Thomas Gun

Shamrocks are intrinsically identified with Irish culture, but they also hold special historical significance.

Céad míle fáilte!

On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish, right? It is a day to wear green or risk a pinch, and to imbibe pints of frothy Guinness with friends. And if you're really lucky, a crafty bartender may even emblazon the foam of your Guinness with a pretty shamrock. The shamrock is always associated with St. Patrick's Day; and the origin of said association is unique and perhaps surprising to many St. Pat's revelers.

Ancient Myths Surrounding the Shamrock

The shamrock, officially a three-leaved clover, was a very special plant to ancient Irish Druids. The Druids believed that shamrocks had the power to ward off evil spirits and were the symbol of leafy perfection. For in the Celtic religion, three was a mystical number, and the leaves of the shamrock form a triad which is indicative of the Druid admiration.

Saint Patrick himself, the patron saint of Ireland, is believed to have used shamrocks as a tool to illustrate the holy trinity while spreading Christianity across Ireland during the 5th century.

Though the color green is indelibly marked into the world's St. Patrick psyche as the hue of the holiday, blue is the actual color originally associated with Saint Patrick, and it is speculated that the popularity of the shamrock is the reason why green is linked with St. Patrick's day and Ireland.

The Shamrock as a Show of Solidarity

The shamrock took on further significance during the Irish rebellion of 1798. As a sign of solidarity and hope against the oppressive British rule, brave Irish would pin shamrocks to their clothing. The shamrock symbol was so expressive of Ireland's rebellious nature and lust for liberty that Britain's Queen Victoria declared that any person discovered wearing a shamrock would be put to death by hanging.

St.Patrick's Day was traditionally a Catholic holiday with families attending mass and celebrating their patron saint with a feast and a day free from work and school. Ironically, St. Patrick's Day was one of only two days annually when pubs were closed across Ireland. In the United States, as well as in Ireland, there is a different type of sanctity attached to St. Patrick's Day. The rebellious spirit of Ireland is awakened in many people on March 17th. Feel the luck, wear the green, and in general, shamrock it!