Today is the Emerald Day for many. The day you might get pinched if you don't wear green. Its also a good day to talk about perceptions.
For many, probably most, this a holiday about green beer, corned beef & leprechauns. For the more devoted, its about St Patrick casting out the snakes of Ireland. For pagans, it just might be something altogether different.
The snake wrangling legend isn't what it seems. The problem is, no such reptile ever resided on the island. The snakes in question, were a derogatory reference to followers of the beliefs present in Ireland before that Catholic came a calling.
So, is this a light day of tomfoolery & feasting? Is it a day of religious significance? Or, is it a day indigenous people were driven out & persecuted?
Historically, there were no snakes. We know the Catholic missionary went to Ireland. We know the church had little tolerance for anything not Catholic. So, all 3 viewings of the holiday are correct. There just weren't any reptiles moved out of Ireland. Stories are almost always more complex than they seem.
Cya...
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