Hi everyone,

I have chosen to share with you my first inevitable article. Indeed, I have to present you five articles on different main topics, and the first one that I want to present you will be on the Ireland’s social rituals, more precisely the shamrock.

   www.linternaute.com 

The shamrock (from the Gaelic Seamrog) is one of the most famous Irish emblem. It represents the green valley that we could find across Ireland. The trefoil is also a cultural symbol, since Saint Patrick used it to explain to the King of Munster (Aengus) the Holy Trinity. The trefoil is also perceived as a lucky charm which brought the luck to the person who will find one with 4 clovers.

A Religious and National Symbol

 St. Patrick at St. Nicholas in Belle River 

The legend relates that the trefoil was used by Saint Patrick for his evangelism assignment. Because he has tried to convert the King Aengus to the Christian causes, he used a trefoil with 3 clovers in order to illustrate the Holy Trinity. According to him, each clover represents the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Thus, the trefoil is the God incarnation. This idea was diffused across Ireland, and the trefoil was associated to Saint Patrick and be one of the most famous Irish Symbol. Nowadays, when you ask to Irish people: “What does represent a shamrock for you?” they answer that they think to Saint Patrick, the wild landscape and also the Irish conversion to the Christian.

Celebration

  People from around the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day in remembrance of Ireland, and their own Irish heritage (www.learnstuff.com) 

Since the ninth century, every March 17th, there is a Saint Patrick Celebration. This day all the Irish wear proudly a shamrock, on their clothes, on their hat, or on their cheek. They can wear also green clothes or other Irish symbol (like Guinness, Harps and Irish imp call leprechauns). Nowadays, the Saint Patrick celebration spread to the foreign who participate to the festivities and have the feeling to “be Irish for one day”. During this celebration, they use to eat and drink Irish specialities like the Murphy's, Smithwick’s, Harp and Guinness, or whiskeys, Irish cider and Irish coffee. 

 Green giants: Ireland lifted the trophy this year but who will be Six Nations champions in 2015? First Idea with the Ireland’s Second Match against France the 14^th of February (www.rugbyworld.com) 

ü  The Irish rugby team logo is the trefoil with 3 clovers in memories of their origins and their national identity. They wear a suit which is in green and white too, as the Irish flag (Green-White-Orange)

I hope you have enjoyed this article on the Shamrock and understood why this emblem is reallyimportant for them, 

Normally, I should come back to you in less than two weeks and give you some news about the Rugby match against Ireland and France, 

See you soon, 

Victor 

Bibliography:

•  Nelson E. Charles et Loughin Bernard, Shamrock: Botany and History of an Irish Myth: A Biography of the Shamrock in History, Literature, Music and Art, Boethius Press,‎ 1991
•   http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day
•  http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm