What does green represent on St. Patrick's Day and what are the other St. Patrick's Day colors? We've got the answers.
What Are the St. Patrick’s Day Colors, and What Do They Mean?
Updated on Feb. 10, 2025
On March 17, St. Patrick’s Day brings out a sea of green—worn by both the Irish and the not-so-Irish alike. But have you ever wondered why green is the go-to color for this festive day? And are there other St. Patrick’s Day colors you can wear to celebrate?
Whether you’re decking out your home or dressing up for the occasion, embracing St. Patrick’s Day colors is a fun St. Patrick’s Day tradition. But what do these colors actually mean? And is it really bad luck to wear something other than green?
Read on as we break down the history, symbolism and must-know dos and don’ts of St. Patrick’s Day colors!
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What are the St. Patrick’s Day colors, and what do they mean?
Although green is nearly ubiquitous in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations these days, there are actually multiple St. Patrick’s Day colors! Blue has historically been the color of St. Patrick himself, and orange is part of the celebrations as a stripe on the Irish flag—although we don’t recommend wearing orange by itself.
What are the different shades of green for St. Patrick’s Day?
Different shades of green can even evoke different meanings for the holiday.
Spring green
Spring green is also known as Irish green, as it’s the green of the Irish flag. This St. Patrick’s Day color has bluer tones than shamrock green.
Shamrock green
Shamrock green, commonly associated with Ireland, is another shade of spring green. It symbolizes luck and nature, making it closely linked to four-leaf clovers. When celebrating St. Paddy’s Day, use this color to convey freshness and growth.
Emerald green
When donning this St. Patrick’s Day color, you’re honoring Ireland’s nickname, the Emerald Isle. Emerald green is a bluish-green color that is bright and vivid.
Kelly green
Kelly is a popular name in Ireland, so it’s only fair to have Kelly green as one of the St. Patrick’s Day colors. This shade is more associated with nature and has more yellow-ish undertones than the other green colors.
Why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?
Well, one of the reasons we wear green is because of Ireland’s nickname, The Emerald Isle. The green stripe in the Irish flag also played a role. Traditionally, the green represents the Catholics of Ireland, the orange represents the Protestant population and the white in the middle symbolizes the peace between the two religions.
The religious symbolism doesn’t stop there. St. Patrick is thought to have used green shamrocks to teach people about the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), another justification for greenifying everything.
Of course, we can’t talk about St. Paddy’s Day without mentioning leprechauns. Back in the day, these mischievous little guys were said to wear red and gold jackets with pointy red hats. Now they’re rarely seen in anything other than green, and legend has it, they pinch anyone not wearing their favorite color. Rude! But probably reason enough to wear green, even if it’s just your socks. Or to dye the entire Chicago River green, if you really want to be thorough!
Why did we stop wearing blue on St. Patrick’s Day?
Even though it’s less common today, blue has always been one of the St. Patrick’s Day colors. Early depictions of St. Patrick show him wearing blue, and the official color of the Order of St. Patrick, part of Ireland’s chivalry, was a sky blue known as “St. Patrick’s Blue.” The blue symbolism dates back to early Irish mythology, as Flaitheas Éireann, the symbol of Irish sovereignty (think Uncle Sam), was depicted with a woman in a blue dress. The first official association with the color blue was when Henry VIII took the throne and declared himself King of Ireland, making it part of England.
As time went on, the people of Ireland resented this arrangement. They rebelled, using St. Patrick’s shamrock as a symbol of their identity, making green the symbol of Irish culture. Although it’s hard to find St. Patrick’s Day–specific clothes that aren’t green, you can still celebrate by learning Irish words and phrases (like “Erin go Bragh” and sláinte) while wearing Irish clothes in the saint’s original color: blue!
Is it offensive to wear orange on St. Patrick’s Day?
While St. Patrick’s Day is a Roman Catholic holiday, not all the people of Ireland are Catholic. Many of the Irish are actually Protestant. Irish Catholic tradition is associated with the color green, as we mentioned earlier, but Irish Protestant tradition is associated with orange. This stems from William of Orange, the Protestant king who overthrew the Roman Catholic King James II.
Even though Orange was a place, the Protestants used the color orange to show their loyalty. So while St. Patrick’s Day is about celebrating Irish culture and solidarity, there is a little bit of a historical divide. Both green and orange are represented in the Irish flag to illustrate the peaceful coexistence of Catholics and Protestants, so both green and orange could be considered St. Patrick’s Day colors. But you still probably shouldn’t wear orange, as it represents loyalty to the English. Instead, use it with green as part of a larger Irish flag color scheme.
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Sources:
- History.com: “History of St. Patrick’s Day”
- Smithsonian Magazine: “Should We Be Wearing Blue on St. Patrick’s Day?”
- KTBS: “Orange Irish: Why some prefer orange to green on St. Patrick’s Day”
- Shutterstock: “Irish Green”
- Shutterstock: “Emerald Green”
