Having become a Blog World Citizen, new days of Celebration are added all the time! Like today: Saint Patrick's Day. Inspired by the scrapbooking fair I went to on Sunday (and some of the things I bought) I made the card above, with this week's theme at the Soaring Through the World in Pictures blog in mind: Touch of Luck. For the photo, I put the card with one of my potted plants, a red-leaved variety of Oxalis triangularis.
Saint Patrick (circa 387–461 AD) is patron saint of Ireland because he brought Christianity to the Irish. Legend says he taught them about the Christian concept of the Trinity by referring to the shamrock, a three-leaved clover, using this as symbol of the 'three divine persons in the one God'. Legend also credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island. Evidence however suggests that Ireland never had snakes (or at least very few of them). But the snake did belong in Celtic symbolism, representing magic, druid wisdom, and the cycle of life/rebirth (because it sheds its skin). While in Christian symbolism, the serpent is a symbol of temptation, deceit and evil (Satan). So the banishing of the snake by St Patrick was most likely symbolic of getting rid of the old pagan religion.
3 comments:
Yes, I was hoping you would show us some of the things you made from your scrapbooking fair purchases! I looked at this picture very closely before I started reading, and I thought you got it off the web! The way you have made the purple leaves glow, and the lovely card in their midst, so beautiful!!! You have done a wonderful job of summing up St. Parrick facts in a short yet interesting way! Hope you had a great St. Pat's Day!!!
Fascinating. I didn't know that. Having been born in Liverpool I should be ashamed. It was often referred to as the Capital of Ireland because of the huge Irish population there.
I too was pleased to see one of the cards you'd made.
I knew very little about St. Patrick other than banishing the snakes but hadn't any idea what that might represent. Interesting fun post.
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