Why Green Beer???

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Wear green, or orange if you want to get pinched, find a four leafed clover, catch a leprechaun and get totally shit faced. Unless you're actually Irish...

Actual Irish on St. Pat's day

In Ireland today is more of a religious thing. Traditionally a day of feasting in celebration of the guy who brought Christianity to pagan Ireland. Turns out he wasn't even Irish, but English. He was kidnapped by Irish pirates when he was a kid and kept as a slave to tend livestock for six years before he escaped and hopped a ship back home to England. He joined the church when he got home then later returned to Ireland as a missionary. March 17th is celebrated in remembrance of the day he died.

St. Patrick's tomb

In Ireland, Lent is lifted for the day, so everyone feasts, eating meat and drinking booze just because they're allowed to. I suppose this is where the tradition of getting hammered while bathed in green glitter comes from.

The green probably comes from the clover, associated with Saint Patrick after he used one to explain the Holy Trinity to his followers. Pictures of the guy usually show him holding some of the weeds in one hand and his "growing" stick in the other. (Not THAT stick, pervert)

See the stick

They say he plopped his walking stick into the ground when he got to town and left it there until the people were converted to Christianity then he'd retrieve it and head off to the next town. And some wise ass said that it took so long to convert them that his stick took root and grew into a tree.

As for the leprechaun, he's an interesting little character. He's been around since before paganism. He's actually a fairy. A shoe making fairy, but only ever seen working with one shoe. Originally he wore red and gold, with seven rows of seven buttons on his jacket. (He has more patience than most for buttons I guess) He does have a stash of gold and if you keep your eye on him and question him, he'll give up the location of his stash. Take your eye off him though and he's gone.

The leprechaun's cousin sounds fun too. The clurichaun is thought to be either another type of fairy or a night version of the leprechaun that goes out and gets drunk after a day's work. Folklore tells that if you're nice to him he'll guard your wine, if you're not, he'll steal it. He sounds fun.

A Clurichaun swiping your booze

 So now that you know why you're celebrating, and why Saint Patrick's day is a traditional excuse to get absolutely wasted, go get your green glitter out and have a green pint for me.

Cheers!

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Leprechaun, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick