St. Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate in the United States – and with good reason when more than 32 million Americans can claim Irish descent. That’s more than six times the number of people currently living in Ireland. In fact, more than 40% of America’s presidents have had ancestors who came from Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Day is an official holiday in Ireland, meaning everyone is off for the celebration. It used to be a revered holiday in America that required bars to close down - at least until the 1960s. Fortunately for green beer, that is not the case anymore today, though I’m sure most of us would appreciate the extra day away from work.
The parades for St. Patrick’s Days originated in America, long before it became the United States with the first one held in the early 1600s in a Spanish Colony located in now-St. Augustine, Florida. Over a century later, Irish soldiers missing their homeland marched in a parade in Boston, starting a tradition that continues to this day.
Contrary to popular belief, the Irish sadly haven’t always been lucky. The potato blight in the mid 19th century forced more than a quarter of the overall population toward American shores as a means to escape the famine that took the lives of over 1 million Irish. Unfortunately, they received a rough time of it on US soil as well, finding little welcome. It wasn’t until the gold and silver rush in California where Irish found their luck with many striking it rich with those precious, much sought-after metals. This is actually where the term “The luck of the Irish” comes from.
In case you’re wondering about four-leaf clovers – yes, they are lucky. Those four leaves are said to symbolize faith, hope, luck, and love. If you’re looking for one, be forewarned that there is a 1 in 10,000 chance in finding one. But don’t worry, the three-leaf clover is still something special too. The Celts called them ‘seamroy’ and considered this plant to be sacred as it indicated the onset of spring.
Those vibrant clovers are part of the Emerald Isle and why we all wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. And drink green beer. And dye our rivers, fountains, and pools green – the Chicago’s Plumbers’ Union started the tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green back in 1962. But there’s another reason – rumor has it that leprechauns can’t see green. Why does this matter? Apparently, they are curmudgeonly souls destined for a life of fixing the shoes of other fairies and have a propensity to pinch humans when they see them.
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Of course, another alternative to keep those cranky leprechauns away is to cheer them up and good smells can cause a 40% increase in mood! Happiness from our Mood Collection can do exactly that. With the luxurious, elevating aromas of coconut milk and musk, this creamy, floral scent will ease any leprechauns’ scowl and get the happy celebration started at your St. Patrick’s Day party.
Or, if you’d like to bring the smells of Ireland into your living room, try our Featured Fragrance from our Resorts Collection, Waterfall. It will envelope your home in the clean, fresh scents of nature with greens, melons, and floral notes, so you’ll feel like you’re on the Emerald Isle itself.
Whether you’re warding off grumpy leprechauns, elevating the mood of your St. Patrick’s Day party or bringing the smells of the rolling green hills of Ireland to your home, we leave you with a popular Irish saying – Wherever you go, whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be with you. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For related reading, see blogs on Scenting For Franchises and the official scent of the Henderson Silver Knights hockey team, Conquer by Aroma Retail.
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