Should We Be Wearing Blue on St. Patrick’s Day? (2024)

St. Patrick's Day is the holiday when even the most recalcitrant American feels tempted to don green clothing or sip on some green beer. But what if everyone wore blue on March 17 each year instead? After all, the earliest depictions of St. Patrick show him clothed in blue garments, not green, and that when George III created anew order ofchivalryfor the Kingdom of Ireland, the Order of St. Patrick, its official color was a sky blue, known as "St. Patrick's Blue."

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The significance of blue dates back to early Irish mythology when the sovereignty of Ireland,Flaitheas Éireann, was often represented by a woman dressed in a blue robe. According to legend, the depiction was based on the 10th-century queen namedGormfhlaith, a portmanteau of the ancient Irish words for blue (gorm) and sovereign (flaith).But John T. Koch, in hisCeltic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, argues that this legend has little basis in truth, writing that“Gormfhlaithshould not be seen as a sort of living representative of the mythic literary sovereignty goddess, as previously suggested."

When Henry VIII assumed the throne, after more than300 yearsof English rule over Ireland, he took steps to strengthen his hold on the isle, declaringhimself King of Irelandin 1541, making it a part of the England and giving it its own coat of arms. This was the first official instance of connecting the color blue with Ireland, usinga golden harp on a blue background; the same symbol can be seen today on the Constitution of Ireland and the Presidential flag.

But because of the Tudor King's interference, and its continuance on through the 18th century with George III's creation of the Order of St. Patrick,blue as a color associated with Ireland became tainted.From the late 18thto the 20thcentury, as the divide between the Irish population and the British crown deepened, the color green andSt. Patrick's shamrock became a symbol of identity and rebellion for the Irish.

The Order quickly disintegrated after the establishment of theIrish Free State. Technically, theOrderis still in existence today but without any remaining Knights. Its only two remaining members are the head, Queen Elizabeth II, and one officer, theUlster King of Arms. The seats of the Order are now filled by members of Ireland'sSt. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir, stillwearingrobes of St. Patrick’s blue.