It’s safe to say that I have Irish in my blood, I mean my mom’s family are McCoy’s! To commemorate the day and inspire your St. Patrick’s Day floral arrangements, here are some color boards and fun facts for you to enjoy.
You may have wondered why the shamrock is so important to Irish culture and I have the answer! The shamrock is a symbol for the Irish and the holiday of St. Patrick’s Day because Saint Patrick used one as a symbol to represent the Holy Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Don’t be confused though! The shamrock is not the national symbol of Ireland as one might assume, but rather the harp!
St. Patrick’s Day is known as a huge drinking day, especially if you live in America! That being said, drinking wasn’t always allowed on the holiday seeing as it originated as a religious holiday. In 1970, Ireland declared March 17th as a national holiday and it officially became known as St. Patrick’s Day. Shortly after, Irish law was changed and allowed pubs to open on March 17th and began the national day of drinking!
Ireland’s flag is green, orange, and white for a reason and represents the history of the county. The green represents the fight for control over Ireland by the Catholics while the orange represents those who fought for Protestant ideology and separation from British rule. The white stripe in the middle represents peace between the two as Ireland gained its freedom. Now you know!
Finally, be sure to thank the Irish for the shoes on your feet! Humphrey O’Sullivan moved to New York during the Potato Famine where he worked as a printer. Since his job required him to stand for long periods on a concrete floor, he developed pain in his feet. Humphrey decided to purchase a rubber mat to stand on, hoping it would give his feet some cushion. When his coworkers began to steal his mat, Humphrey decided to cut the mats to match the bottom of his shoe and attached them so they couldn’t be stolen. To his surprise, his ingenuity kept his feet pain free. Humphrey eventually began making rubber soles full time, sold them to local shoemakers, and patented the idea. Working in the floral industry, this is one inventional we can all be thankful for!
