Can You Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day even if You’re a Pagan or a Witch? (Patreon)

You probably already know that there are many pagans and witches who do not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. (Check out the previous posts for more information!) You might be wondering.. “Can I still celebrate St. Patrick’s Day even if I’m pagan?” The answer is.. if you want to! It completely depends on how you view this holiday. These articles below explain very well how and why you can still celebrate if you still want to!

St. Patrick can be a divisive figure 5 among pagans. After all, he is the one credited with converting the pagan Irish into Christianity, practically eliminating Paganism from Ireland.

But across the board, there are modern-day pagans who love to feast and make merry on this holiday. One reason is that by celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, we can still honor the “hidden” meanings behind its symbols. For example:

Shamrock:

The shamrock is one of the most recognizable symbols utilized by St. Patrick, which for Christians represents the Holy Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. However, the number three was sacred to pagans before that, as in the Triquetra 7 or the Triple Goddess 2.

Four-Leaf Clovers:

The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck. I made a video about Four Leaf Clovers as Magic Charms :crossed_fingers:

Leprechauns:

Leprechauns have long been a beloved part of Irish folklore – mischievous fairies who, when captured by a human, must grant three wishes to be freed.

The Color Green:

This color is reminiscent of the verdant nature of Ireland itself: Nature and shamrocks. For pagans across the world, the Green Man 7 is a symbol of fertility and rebirth, represented in the cycle of growth each spring.

How to Celebrate it?

While there are ongoing debates on whether St. Patricks’ Day can be considered a pagan holiday, I believe is a great day to celebrate folklore, Irish culture and ancient traditions.

Snakes were linked to heathen practices in Ireland. One of the most famous legends of St Patrick recounts how he banished all the snakes from the country, as a metaphor for his Christianizing influence.

While wearing green, carrying a four-leaf clover for good luck, or having a pint of beer might be more accessible options, you can also make a spiral snake decoration!

What are your thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day? Do you celebrate it or simply wait until Ostara?

All Snakes Day—A St. Patrick's Day Offshoot

This is another great article about the conflictions of being pagan and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day that’s a really good read!

“Growing up in New York City, St. Patrick's Day was a much anticipated annual event for me. When I became Pagan, however, there seemed to be a bit of a dilemma. Most Pagans loathed the holiday because of the legends associated with it.”

You see, Patrick is credited with chasing all the snakes out of Ireland—except actual snakes, being cold-blooded creatures, never really lived in Ireland. "Snakes," in this case, is a symbol for Pagans. Patrick is hailed for single-handedly wiping Paganism from Ireland and ushering in Christianity.

Some Pagans look at March 17th as a dark day for mourning because of the stories. But some of us look at it differently—as a day worth celebrating, because Patrick failed! We're still here!

The Truth About St. Patrick

So many Pagans feel anger toward Patrick because of stories about him battling Pagans and driving the Druids from the Emerald Isle, forcing people to convert at swordpoint, and smashing all the Pagan temples. But the fact of the matter is, these are just stories. They are what you call "fakelore." They are popular tales told by Christians hundreds of years after Patrick's death. Seen as a hero, rumors of Patrick fighting the "bad guys" flourished over the centuries.

Historians, however, find no evidence of any such bloody Pagan holocaust. Ireland was actually where one of the swiftest and most peaceful mass conversions to Christianity took place. Even at that, it took a couple of hundred years to take over. Patrick wasn't the only missionary.

Being angry at a preacher man who lived 1,600 years ago just because his religion took root and spread is wasted energy, in my opinion. Sure, I would have loved to see what the world would have looked like had Paganism not been driven nearly to extinction. For whatever reason, though, our Pagan ancestors felt Christianity was right for them back in Ireland in the fifth century, and they readily embraced it with little resistance.

Patrick and all those like him failed to stomp Paganism entirely out, and our religions are now flourishing across the globe. So it does not seem inappropriate at all for me to acknowledge this resilience on March 17th.

Reasons I Celebrate All Snakes Day

St. Patrick's Day was never a day for celebrating St. Patrick for me. It was a fun day for celebrating Irish-American heritage with some corned beef and cabbage, a pint of Guinness, and a funny green hat. I don't feel any part of my celebration is about Patrick. You can celebrate the Irish culture and folklore instead too!

I've always said, holidays are what you make of them. Just because some people might make their celebration about honoring St. Patrick doesn't mean I have to do that—it is what I make it out to be.

The Pagan revival, in my opinion, is a stellar reason to celebrate! Patrick and all those like him failed to stomp out Paganism completely. Our religions are now flourishing across the globe, so it does not seem inappropriate at all for me to acknowledge that on March 17th. I can't think of a better day for it!

If March 17th means nothing to you or fills you with too much negativity, by all means, do what's right for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy celebrating the day for your own reasons, you don't need to rationalize it or make excuses—you do you.

Sources:

https://exemplore.com/paganism/All-Snakes-Day-Pagan-St-Patricks-Day-Celebration

https://forum.spells8.com/t/celebrating-st-patricks-day-as-a-pagan/1200