St. Patrick’s Day filled with annual traditions

Leprechauns are one of the most well known icons of St. Patrick’s Day, and one of the most famous leprechauns being named Lucky, the leprechaun, who is also the mascot for Lucky Charms cereal. People have mostly heard about the leprechaun creatures from folklore who protect the ancient treasure at the end of the rainbow from being taken by the pirates. At the end of the rainbow the treasure is stored in a pot. Leprechauns dislike making eye contact with humans because they view them as foolish, greedy, and easily tricked. They like to trick people if they are getting too close to their treasure.

Alex Spooner wears the most popular color for St. Patrick’s Day. She said, “I wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.”

In celebration of St. Patrick’s, the Chicago River is dyed every year emerald green. The event happened Saturday, March 14 at 10 a.m. They also have a St. Patrick’s Day parade, river cruises, festivals and more. The Chicago Irish parade has been happening since 1843. The dying of the river started in 1962. They are both proudly going strong.

If Spooner had the chance she would visit the dyeing of the Chicago River, she said “I’ve never seen the green river in Chicago but yeah, I think it would be fun too.”

Spooner celebrates St. Patricks Day; she said, “I do like pinching people if they don’t wear green.”

Legend says that if you catch a leprechaun, because they are so hard to catch, they will grant you three wishes if you set them free. People question what to ask before they try to catch a leprechaun.

If Spooner could catch a leprechaun, she said, “I’m not necessarily sure what I would ask for.”

St. Patrick’s Day was named after a person originally named Maewyn Succat, though he later was called Patricius, meaning nobleman or father figure in Latin. Patricius was the Latin name of Patrick in English. He was a person who was born in Roman Britain. Many people relate the four-leaf clover to the holiday. In legend, Patrick used three leaf clovers or shamrocks while he was teaching. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the day St. Patrick died.

If Spooner got a pot of gold she said she would “probably save it for college funds and also help people around me in need.”

On St. Patrick’s Day, leprechauns steal and hide things. They are mostly solitary creatures. They like to make shoes in their spare time. Leprechauns trade their shoes for gold coins. 

Spooner remembers a favorite activity she said, “When I was younger my favorite activity during St. Patrick’s Day would probably be making a leprechaun trap.”

Spooner would have a pet Leprechaun if she could. She said “It might be fun to have a pet leprechaun. I would make them a little place to live. Maybe out of a dollhouse that might be cute and I’m not sure what I would name them.”