� Irish culture is centered on a rich tradition of myths and legends. Tales were passed down from one generation to the next, usually orally, and naturally, colorful trimmings were added and we have today magical, amazing stories ! Some of this color seems to have splashed on to stories surrounding St. Patrick, and it's really difficult to draw the line between fact and legend ! 
� The Shamrocks: Irelands national emblem and the symbol of St. Patrick's Day, this humble three-leaf clover is what St. Patrick is said to have used to explain how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit could exist as three separate elements in one entity. Some say that St. Patrick stood in a field of shamrocks (Gaelic = 'seamrog') when he drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
� The Snakes: Ireland has no snakes. That St. Patrick has anything to do with could very easily be a legend, but it is said that St. Patrick once stood on a hill (now called Croagh Patrick) with only a wooden staff in his hand and "banished" all the snakes from Ireland during his sermon.
� Raising people from the Dead: You'll hear a lot of stories where St. Patrick is said to have raised people from the dead.
� The Color Green: Ireland is known for its beautiful green landscape, and so it has been named the "Emerald Isle". Not surprisingly, green is Ireland's national color, and everyone wears green on St. Patrick's Day. History says that it was the Scandinavians and the Celts, enchanted by the lush 'green' island, who gave Ireland its original name "Irlanda". Some Irish say that 'green' honors the farmers who burnt green leaves and spread the ash over their fields. Others will say that green signifies the coming of spring after the harsh Irish winters and St. Patrick's fans (all the Irish are !) will all wear green on St. Patrick's Day, although St. Patrick's color was blue! Whatever the reason, St. Patrick's Day is the day to wear green, so do it, because if you don't, you'll get pinched !
� The Shillelagh: Today's walking sticks and a symbol of St. Patrick's Day, were weapons long ago. The shillelaghs were clubs that used to be cut from the oak of the Shillelagh forest. This forest doesn't exist anymore, and since oak is scarce, shillelaghs for St. Patrick's Day are cut from blackthorn. You'll find plenty of these decorated with green ribbon, and even green plastic ones for children on St. Patrick's Day.
� Leprechauns and the Pot of Gold at the end of the Rainbow: Among all the kinds of fairies and elves you've ever known, the Leprechauns seem to be the best loved of all Ireland's little creatures. The name 'leprechaun' traces its origins to "luchorpan" translated into 'small body'. The leprechauns were a group of fairies never over 2 feet tall. These little people were considered very unsociable. They lived alone and their aloofness was attributed to the belief that each Leprechaun obsessively guarded his pot of gold said to be hidden at the end of a rainbow ! If you catch a Leprechaun you can bully him into telling you where his treasure is, but be sure not to let him out of your sight or even blink - or he'll disappear !
More Myths, Legends And Symbols The Rainbow: Stories about the supposed treasure hidden by leprechauns at the end of the rainbow have made the rainbow a popular St. Patrick's Day symbol.
� The Blarney Stone: If you can't visit the Irish village - Blarney, you can have your own made as part of your St. Patrick's Day celebrations and stand back and watch the fun ! Legend has it that a witch cast a spell on a stone in the Blarney Castle, and anyone who can kiss it catches the Blarney bug - yes call it what you wish - the gift of the gab, charming the socks off someone, smooth talk, clever persuasion or just plainly - the ability to convince someone by your sweet words -"the gift of Blarney". The only way you can kiss the stone, which is set at the castle's tower between the castle wall and a parapet is to lie down, bend over backwards and slide downwards with two iron bars for support and of course a prayer to St. Patrick !
� The Celtic Cross: When St. Patrick went about converting the native Irish, who followed a nature-based religion, to Christianity, he made use of their own symbols and rituals. A popular example is the Celtic Cross. St. Patrick superimposed the image of the sun, an Irish symbol on the Christian cross so that a new symbol was formed. Celtic crosses, along with the popular Shamrock, are sported by almost everyone on St. Patrick's Day. Traditionally, boys and girls wear different types of crosses made by themselves, and one cross, made by the man of the house was hung on the main wall in the house.
� The Number 3: Always a significant number since the beginning of time, the number 3 is another popular symbol on St. Patrick's Day celebrations. You'll find the number 3 in - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the third new life formed upon the union of 2, the genie's 3 wishes - the 3 muses and 3 fates in Greek mythology� and not the least - in the 3 leaves of the Shamrock.
� The Irish Harp: The Irish harp is one of Ireland's, and indeed the rest of the world's, most ancient musical instruments and a popular symbol on St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Although its popularity is not comparable to that of the shamrock, it occupies an important place in an ensemble, and Irish music played so widely on St. Patrick's Day would be incomplete without this classic instrument.
� Irish Music: Irish culture is marked by music. In ancient Ireland, stories and songs were the medium through which history and religion passed from one generation to the next. Next to the harp are other Irish instruments like the fiddle, the uilleann pipes, the bodhran and the tin whistle. Irish music, played on these instruments is primarily dance music (called ceili) that you'll hear a lot of on St Patrick's Day and has a fast tempo to dance jigs and reels to. If you don't get to see an Irish band playing these instruments, you'll surely see one that has a violin, concertina and accordions at least !
Oops almost left out Pota Phadraig
