Ireland has been called the land of "40 shades of green," but this green leprechaun"s-eye view comes from the feet of California"s coastal redwoods. Today we celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who famously never traveled to California. St. Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, which he purportedly used to explain Christianity in Ireland by saying the leaves illustrated the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Holy Trinity. Never mind that Celtic druids had revered the sacred shamrock and its three leaves long before Patrick"s arrival. Coins depicting St. Patrick with a shamrock date back as far as 1675.
© Jack Dykinga/Minden Pictures
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