Luck of the Irish? Luck of the capitalists raking in the green!
Green clovers spread like weeds on shelves in nearly every store around town as St. Patrick’s Day pushes through the March drizzle. Traditionally, this day celebrates the arrival of Saint Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. At age 16, the young saint was enslaved and taken from his home in Britain, but after six long years managed to escape and return to his homeland. Because of a calling from God, Patrick returned to Ireland after his escape to spread His message across the country. Following the Iron Age, a Celtic pagan religion dominated Ireland, in which most Irish worshiped many deities, a stark contrast to Saint Patrick’s religion. So when St. Patrick used the shamrock, pagans’ representation of rebirth and the cycle of life, to illustrate the Holy Trinity, it’s safe to say there wasn’t a positive reaction. However, the religion satisfied the hearts of many, and to this day St. Patrick is regarded as a respected Christian figure, often called the ‘savior of Ireland’.
While the backstory may be fuzzy for some, March 17 seems to ring a bell for many Americans. The holiday, while not as widely celebrated as Thanksgiving or Halloween, is characterized by green accessories and shamrock decorations with the occasional Irish flag. The holiday came to America and ran rampant through its streets as Hallmark re-branded it to include more marketable aspects. They changed the traditional tale of a Christian Saint to magical creatures known as leprechauns who hide treasure at the end of rainbows. From this, the entire month of March was now centered on one, seemingly unimportant, magical holiday based thousands of miles from America. Fueling the ever growing creation of pointless holidays made simply to generate money.
Sadly, this is a common tale in America. Many beloved holiday celebrations that young children look forward to seeing in classrooms, stem from the desire to make more money. This on its own is not bad; pointless holidays such as St. Patrick, help some businesses stay afloat and bring joy to people, which is what holidays are all about. However, there is one main downfall: the waste. Most American wardrobes don’t include an all green outfit, which gives many a reason to go and buy seemingly atrocious shades of green to wear for one day. From children celebrating in classrooms with gold coins and leprechaun hunts, to the many Irish themed parties. The consumption of these accessories creates extraordinarily large amounts of waste that ends up in landfills, fueling the ever growing cycle of fast fashion and micro trends.
St. Patrick’s Day would not exist in the way it does now without modern advertising. Commercials showing mischievous leprechauns to showcase short term sales are just another example of the true nature of the holiday. With the help of fast fashion brands, millions of Americans are able to have their green clothing shipped to their doorstep within a day, wear it once, and throw it away. Although done absent mindedly, the effects this has on the earth are easy to spot.
However, there are ways to enjoy the holiday without hurting the planet. Using old clothes, wearing green makeup, or simply taking the pinch are all ways to reduce the amount of waste created for St. Patrick’s. Although the holiday has grown from a religious celebration of a saint, to a different kind of green grab, there are still ways to keep the fun without the adverse effects and continue the nostalgic holiday more sustainably for generations to come.
by Delaney Smith
Published April 1st 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue VI