Why is green assocaited with Saint Patrick's Day?

Answer 1

As with the Irish flag, green is meant to represent Catholicism. As Saint Patrick was Catholic, green is worn in celebration of him and his work in Ireland.

Green can also be associated with the shamrock. The leaves Saint Patrick used to evangelize the pre-Christiann people in Ireland. Since it was difficult for him to explain the Holy Trinity, he saw the shamrock and asked the people how many leaves were there. Some said three, others said one. He concluded that in the same way, we have a God with three divine persons.

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The Wearing of the Green

Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Wearing of the Green" is an anonymously-penned Irish street ballad dating to 1798. The context of the song is the repression around the time of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Wearing a shamrock in the "caubeen" (hat) was a sign of rebellion and green was the colour of the Society of the United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary organization. During the period, displaying revolutionary insignia was made punishable by hanging.

Originally the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue, in fact, not green. However over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. Then in 1798 in hopes of making a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on March 17 in hopes of catching attention with their unusual fashion gimmick. The phrase "the wearing of the green," meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from the song of the same name.