Home | Travel & Leisure | Vacations
The people of Ireland have an illustrious cultural history, full of stories of faeries and and the great Saint Patrick who freed Emerald Isle from snakes. The folklore and traditions which encompasses Irelands's religious as well as ancient pagan past are a beautiful way to know about its rich cultural heritage. The shamrock, the plant with three leaves, is considered a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick equated the three leaves with the symbolism of the holy Christian trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This symbol was said to have mystic powers of healing and protection. No wonder, it is often carved into graves. The color green is commonly associated with Ireland, including its famous nickname of the Emerald Isle. Green is thought to be the color of life and spring, so the people use it to display their national pride. Additionally, the wet weather of Ireland allows it to possess lush green plants, thus the Emerald Isle. The most famous folklore associated with Ireland is of leprechaun. These small and charming leprechuan's are related to rainbows and pots of gold, zealously protecting the wealth from those who are fortunate enough to find the end of the rainbow. Normally, leprechuans are pranksters and rascals who do not harm anybody but commit mischiefs to entertain both children and the old alike. Be a part of this prank and catch leprechauns the next time you see a rainbow! The Blarney stone is a legendary rock that rests in the famous Blarney Castle. During the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth I, the reagent tried to influence the Lord of Blarney to English rule. The poor Lord did not have the gift of eloquence, and was worried about going before the ruler. A wise woman instructed the Lord to kiss the Blarney stone for the gift of gab. He kissed the stone, traveled to London, and successfully made his plea before the Queen. Samhain was celebrated by the ancient Irish on the All Hallow's Eve. On 31 October every year, they held a great feast along with a ceremonial and lighting and putting out of bonfires. They would dress in a disguise to fool evil spirits on their way home. Finn McCool is the friendly giant of Ireland who is said to protect them against attack. It is believed he fought against an evil giant from Scotland by throwing a large clod of earth at the big Scot. This is how Lough Neagh, the largest body of water, was formed. The most famous personality belonging to Ireland and their benefactor saint is Saint Patrick. He was born in 5'th Century AD. Saint Patrick closely worked with Roman Catholic Church to bring pagans into the fold of Christianity. This put him against the droids. He was often forced to live the life of a fugitive. Saint Patrick is also known for eradicating snakes from Ireland by cursing them to run away into the sea and drown.
Article Source: http://articlem.com
Glenda Jao is the webmaster for F ireland, the #1 source on the internet for information about ireland, For more articles on ireland why not visit: www.folkireland.com/articles Click here to get your own unique version of this article: Uber Articles directory.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
