St. Patricks Day is observed on March 17
because that is the feast day of St. Patrick,
the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he
died on March 17 in the year 461 AD.
In Ireland on St. Patricks Day,
people traditionally wear a small bunch of
shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear
orange, white and green badges, and women and
girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore,
usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red
or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief.
The Leprechauns spend all their time busily making
shoes, and store away all their coins in a hidden pot
of gold at the end of the rainbow. If ever captured
by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power
to grant three wishes in exchange for their release.
In the color spectrum of the rainbow,
green is a second-order color formed from the
mixing of yellow and blue.