St. Patrick’s Day is a well-known holiday and is celebrated around the world. Parades, shamrocks and all things Irish have been associated with this event. But what is the true meaning of the holiday? From my perspective, the modernized version doesn’t fit the deeper and original meaning. One of the biggest symbols for St. Patrick’s Day is none other than the leprechaun. The leprechaun doesn’t seem to carry on its origin in any way; it is simply a short green man who causes mischief. 

According to a television network, the History channel, “The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is ‘lobaircin,’ meaning ‘small-bodied fellow.’ Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil.” Therefore, it’s none other than another stupid fake man-made myth.

Traditionally, the color blue was associated with St. Patrick’s Day instead of green, which again doesn’t follow the origin of how the holiday was celebrated. So how did green become the iconic color for St. Patrick’s Day? I mean, even the Chicago river gets dyed green just for the special day, so there must be some importance for it to be tied to green. Well, “One of the reasons we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day is because of Ireland’s nickname, The Emerald Isle. The green stripe in the Irish flag also played a role,” according to Reader’s Digest. 

The popular leprechaun also seems to be a money grabber. All the products and mascots surrounding the leprechaun like Lucky Charms, seem to be using Irish heritage to get money by having a mascot for brand recognition. Companies shouldn’t have any right to abuse Irish heritage in that way. However, if companies get permission from the Irish or give a part of their funds to Ireland, I say it should be 100% okay to use Irish symbols for branding. The modernized version of the holiday doesn’t classify the original meaning of why the holiday is even celebrated. People should learn to do their research before taking things for granted.