THE WEARING OF THE GREEN 

Sylvia Christianson, Guest Blogger

 

Most of us wear green on St. Patrick's Day but have you ever wondered why?  You may think it's because Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle.  Or maybe you think it all started with St. Patrick, but believe it or not, St. Patrick was originally associated with the color blue!  So, where did the idea of wearing green to represent Ireland come from and when did the wearing of the green become a tradition?  Even more importantly, why?

For that we have to go back to the 1700s.  Influenced by both the American Revolution and the French Revolution, a revolutionary group of Irish men and women, known as the United Irishmen rose up against British rule in 1798 during the Irish Rebellion of that year.  The United Irishmen chose green as their color, wearing it to show both their affiliation with the group and their solidarity against British rule.  This included the wearing of a shamrock.

Believe it or not, people could be imprisoned and even hung for wearing the color green!!!

  

Meanwhile, many Irish immigrants were coming to the United States, bringing their Irish traditions and the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, with them.  The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York in 1762.  As the immigrant and Irish population grew in America, so did the popularity of celebrating St. Patrick's Day every March 17th.

 

Although originally Catholics wore green and Protestants wore orange, green eventually became the dominant color worn on St. Patrick's Day.  It's a good thing too because if you aren't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day, fairies and leprechauns can see you and they will pinch you.  Green also makes you invisible to them!  

We human leprechauns and fairies continue this tradition to this day.

 

Since this is a couture fashion doll blog, here are a few cool ways to wear green on St. Patrick's Day!

So deck yourself out in Green and join us at Couture Doll Shops starting March 14, and see what the designers are offering for you dollies to join in The Wearin' o' the Green!!!