I went to McDonald’s the other day ready for a feast of champions and that was when I spotted a peculiar menu item while ordering: the shamrock shake. Now if you don’t know what that is, here’s the rundown: slightly minty, extremely sweet, and completely green which is an ode to both Ireland and St. Patrick. But speaking of St. Patrick, who exactly was he? We all know that St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, but what does that have to do with leprechauns? If you are as confused as me, join me as I delve briefly into the history of St. Patrick’s Day.
St. Patrick
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is renowned all over the world today for his iconic feats such as the legend of the shamrock. But the actual historical figure was born in circa 386 AD to Calphurmius and Conchessa in Britain. His father Calphurnius was a deacon for a high standing Roman family while his mother was a close relative of Saint Martin of Tours. St. Patrick’s family gave him a higher standing in his youth until an unfortunate accident in 402 AD. St. Patrick was 16 years old when he was captured by Irish pirates and sold to slavery in the Irish city of Dalriada. He spent 6 years in slavery and cultivated his relationship with God through constant prayer. It was also during his enslavement that he developed a strong desire to convert the Irish people to Christianity. He finally managed to secure an opportunity to escape in 408 AD and reunited with his family on French soil.
After his six years spent as a slave, St. Patrick entered priesthood under the missionary St. Germanus and was granted the position of deacon 10 years later. Although he was not able to execute his ambition of converting the Irish until 432 AD when the Pope ordered St. Patrick, a newly appointed bishop, to conduct missionary work in Ireland. Once St. Patrick received the Pope’s support, he set off to Ireland and created the legend of St. Patrick that we know today. But you will also notice that St. Patrick never crossed paths with a leprechaun which begs the question: what are they and how are they connected?
Leprechauns?
Unfortunately, there is actually not much of a connection between St. Patrick and leprechauns. Despite both figures being closely related in many celebrations all across the world, they stem from different parts of Irish culture. While St. Patrick is a paramount historical figure, leprechauns originate from a more mystical side of Ireland. This division actually functions similarly to Christmas. The original holiday of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Christ, but modern culture has added new figures like Santa Claus and elves into celebrations even if they aren't closely related. St. Patrick’s day works in the same way where leprechauns may not be historical, but are still very interesting.
Anyway, leprechauns come from Irish mythology and belong to a supernatural race gifted with strange magic. They were said to be skilled shoemakers who amassed large wealth because of their trade and chose to hide it in pots of gold. Leprechauns were also mischievous creatures who were skilled at tricking people and were extremely playful. If a person was to ever see past a leprechaun's tricks and reach their gold, it is said that they will freely relinquish it. However, the tales of leprechauns also came with a valuable lesson as in most stories, the traveler who gets the gold rarely keeps the riches. Sometimes the gold vanishes into the air or morphs into useless materials— all to teach the listeners of the story to beware of tricks and not be goaded by wealth.
There you have it: the juicy lore behind the most popular holiday in March. While it is unfortunate that the connection between St. Patrick and leprechauns were practically nonexistent, it is good to know more about the history of Earth. Each country and region in the world has its stories and legends to tell which stem from unique cultures. And if exploring Ireland’s past allows me to bask in the warmth of the shamrock shake, then they are all worth exploring.
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