How does wearing green, eating cabbage, and getting drunk on beer honor St. Patrick?

Question

Okay, so I read all of the responses to someone elses question about who St.Patrick was. He drove the snakes out of Ireland. How did he do that? Did it have something to do with the color green, cabbage and beer?

Answer 1

Actually, the snakes part isn't a myth, but it isn't literal either. the driving snakes out of Ireland refers to the fact that he brought Christianity to Ireland and drove out the pagan druidism. The only explanation I can give for that is the power of God in him.

Green is the color that is most closely associated with Ireland, so wearing green is a common practice, unless you're protestant, in which case you might wear orange, but that isn't well known and is considered an insult to many irish folks, since they claim Patrick was Catholic, but the Catholic church proper hardly existed at the time, and definitely not as the entity it is today.

Cabbage isn't really found in Ireland, I think that one started in America.

Beer. Well... it's beer, who needs a reason? Irish people are stereotyped as being heavy drinkers, though I'm Irish and I've never touched a drop, but oh well, here's to stereotypes.

Answer 2

Well, as many people have said, St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland is a myth. In America it seems that this is the one day of the year were Irish Americans celebrate their heritage. This is were the color green and cabbage come in. I saw a program on the History Channel last year about St. Patrick's day, and it was said that since St. Patrick's Day fell during Lent, it was kind of like a break, so that is where the alcohol comes in. Also, everyone seems to like a good party, and for some people that means having beer.

Answer 3

None of this is about honoring St. Patrick, nearly as much as it is about celebrating being Irish. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and so the Irish brought his holiday to the US and the rest of the world. But it's really just about Irish pride in the US (although in Ireland, it's got more of a religious connotation).

Specific to your questions:

The snakes out of Ireland didn't actually happen, but it's more of a metaphor for the fact that he helped convert Ireland to Christianity (the snakes driven out being the devil, pagans, etc)

Cabbage is a staple food for Irish.

Drinking... well... we know THOSE stereotypes (which I resemble... :) ).

As for wearing green:

Historically, it comes from the fact that under the English domination, people were actually not allowed to wear green. Because to Irish, green represented their country (take a look at any landscape picture of Ireland and you know why), the English didn't want to see it.

Today, Irish (and non-Irish who are Irish for the day) wear green (usually a shamrock in the lapel) to symbolize their Irish identity and make up for when they feared wearing it and getting killed. Nowadays, you wear green to support the Irish, so if you are caught NOT wearing it, then you get pinched.

Under the English, if you were caught speaking Gaelic (the traditional Irish language) or wearing green, they would kill you. One of the more traditional Irish songs is called The Wearing of the Green. I've included the liyrics below:

O Paddy dear, an' did ye hear the news that's goin' round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground;
St. Patrick's Day no more we'll keep, his colour can't be seen,
For there's a cruel law agin the wearin' o' the Green.

I met with Napper Tandy, and he took me by the hand,
And he said, "How's poor old Ireland, and how does she stand?"
She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen,
For they're hangin' men an' women there for the wearin' o' the Green.

Then since the colour we must wear is England's cruel red,
Sure Ireland's sons will ne'er forget the blood that they have shed,
You may take a shamrock from your hat and cast it on the sod,
It will take root and flourish there though underfoot it's trod.

When law can stop the blades of grass from growin' as they grow,
And when the leaves in summer-time their colour dare not show,
Then will I change the colour, too, I wear in my caubeen
But 'till that day, please God, I'll stick to wearin' o' the Green.

But if at last our colour should be torn from Ireland's heart,
Her sons with shame and sorrow from the dear old isle will part;
I've heard a whisper of a land that lies beyond the sea
Where rich and poor stand equal in the light of freedom's day.

O Erin, must we leave you driven by a tyrant's hand?
Must we ask a mother's blessing from a strange and distant land?
Where the cruel cross of England shall nevermore be seen,
And where, please God, we'll live and die still wearin' o' the green!

Answer 4

Green for The Emerald Isle (which Ireland is known as)

Cabbage is one of the more common vegetables in Ireland (along with the potato). Corned Beef and Cabbage is a common Irish dish.

The beer? This might a bit stereotypical (and forgive me if it comes out that way) but the Irish are reknowned for their drinking. Guiness is a major producer of beer in Ireland.

St. Patrick is the patron Saint of Ireland so doing anything heavily associated with Ireland is honoring him.

Answer 5

The cabbage and crooned beef this is more Irish American then Irish. I think it was a take off of a dish made with beef and bacon with some cabbage and carrots mixed with potato.

the green is part of the flag green for catholics orange for the Protestants and white for unity between them. most of ire lend is catholic and st paddy was Catholic.

true Irishman drink stout IE Guinness ( please do not call Guinness a beer it is insulting)

there never was snakes in Ireland but the nth is cool any way

Answer 6

Like most other Irish people, St. patrick was cabbage eating drunk during his day. For some reason, the Irish believe these are the traits that should be celebrated. I think they chose the color green, because that is the color your face gets when drinking and eating all day.

Answer 7

None of these things have anything to do with what St. Patrick did. Like most other holidays, St. Patrick´s Day is just another excuse to get drunk and be proud of your heritage.

Answer 8

Have you never met an Irish person?

The whole driving out the snakes is a nice myth thing. Though if everyone did get drunk and stomped around a bunch, they probably would smoosh all the snakes and then there would be none left.

Answer 9

I positioned on purple on Valentines Day, and function coronas and fajitas on Cinco de Mayo. while i replaced into in uncomplicated college, fish replaced into on the menu for fri., despite in case you have been Catholic or no longer. and that i'm no longer Jewish, yet I savor potato pancakes and chocolate money around Hannukah time. it rather is portion of the exciting of residing in united statesa.. you may embody the traditions of a multitude of cultures, and connect interior the celebrations.

Answer 10

One of the better explanations of St. Patrick's Day is found here.
http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/