| 簡介：◎ catch on 為何義？ ◎ shamrock vs. false shamrock St. Paddy's: Ireland's Biggest Cultural Export
Every March 17, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide. Originally, it was a quiet religious observance in honor of St. Patrick, Ireland's foremost patron saint, who brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle in the fifth century. Today it's a much more raucous affair, manifesting in parades and a sudden proliferation of the color green.
Legends abound about leprechauns, Irish fairies in the guise of wrinkled old men, dressed all in green and famous for hiding pots of gold. However, green has also come to signify Irish national pride, especially to the Irish diaspora. Shamrocks, or clover leaves, are another common sight, harking back to St. Patrick preaching the Holy Trinity.
Starting in the mid-18th century, Irish immigrants in the U.S. gathered to honor their homeland. This Irish-American pride caught on like wildfire, evolving into parades, parties and rivers colored green. In 2015, 126.9 million Americans celebrated St. Paddy's and collectively spent $4.6 billion while doing so, a 137-percent increase from a decade ago.
In a reverse migration, this festive spirit recently infected Ireland itself, where a St. Patrick's Festival began in 1996. Ireland's government now seizes this annual opportunity to advance the country's culture and economic interests in promotional events around the world.
愛爾蘭的綠色文化饗宴──聖派翠克節
每年的三月 17 日，世界各地都會慶祝聖派翠克節。一開始，這是為了紀念聖派翠克所舉辦的寧靜宗教儀式。聖派翠克是愛爾蘭最重要的主保聖人，他於五世紀時將基督信仰帶進愛爾蘭。今日的聖派翠克節則是喧鬧許多的節慶活動，以遊行及迅速激增的綠色展現。
有許多關於愛爾蘭小妖精的傳說，他們是扮成滿臉皺紋，全身上下都穿綠色的老人，以藏匿一罐罐的黃金出名。不過綠色也進一步代表了愛爾蘭的國族驕傲，特別是對大批移往他國的愛爾蘭人。別稱幸運草的白花三葉草是另一常見景象，重溫聖派翠克為三位一體佈道的過去。
自十八世紀中葉開始，美國的愛爾蘭移民為榮耀祖國而聚集在一起。這股愛爾蘭裔美國人的驕傲如野火般流行起來，演變成遊行、派對和染成綠色的河流。2015 年有 1.269 億名美國人慶祝聖派翠克節，他們總共花費了 46 億美元，比十年前多了 137%。
自美國返回愛爾蘭的逆向移動，使得節慶的氛圍於近年也感染了愛爾蘭，該國的聖派翠克節慶活動始於 1996 年。愛爾蘭政府現在抓緊這一年一度的機會，以遍佈全球的宣傳活動來提高國家的文化和經濟利益。
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