As I said yesterday, green is my favorite color and I love the focus on it during the time of year, especially St Patty’s day!  However, that isn’t the only reason I like St Patrick’s day.

I find it ironic that shamrocks, leprechauns and pots of gold came to be symbols for this day.  I understand the green, since the color is a part of Irish symbolism, and I do know the legends about shamrocks and leprechauns, but they really have nothing to do with the truth of this holiday (holy day).

I’m sure that many people have no idea why St Patrick’s day exists. It is actually a holy day celebrating St Patrick’s mission that brought Christianity to Ireland. Interestingly, it is a holiday that truly started as purely Christian, honoring the man credited with bringing the Gospel to the Emerald Isle, unlike most of our holidays that have been Christianized from their original pagan roots. 

I do have some Irish in my ancestry, and it brings me joy to think about the significance of this holiday, in addition to all the green that is everywhere.  It also fits well with pointing our attention to Spring, renewal, freshness, new life, and leading us toward Easter, when Christ’s mission was fulfilled, and without which St. Patrick wouldn’t have had a mission in the first place.