Did Saint Patrick really wear green?

Answer 1

No. In fact some people in Ireland wear orange. This dates back to William of Orange and his supporters. In Ireland wearing the green stands for the Catholic religion and wearing orange means you are protestant. It isn't until the Irish landed in America that St. Patrick's Day became totally a day of wearing green because many of the new immigrants were Catholic. In the 1780's the first St. Patrick's Day parade was started in NYC.

Answer:

I myself do not wear green nor orange on Saint Patrick's Day because either colour worn on that day would show an allegiance to one side or the other of this stupid rivalry between the Catholics (green) and the Protestants (orange). These two camps have been murdering each other (and innocent bystanders) for hundreds of years. It is totally sick.

If you think I am wrong, try wearing the wrong colour at one side or another's parade or football game in Britain and see what a "Christian" does to you. It's no different or better than the Crips verses the Bloods, or the Hell's Angels verses the Banditos. It's just as stupid but has been going on for much longer. And no amount of justifying the violence for one side or the other makes it right.

Wearing green or orange on that day would be like being in Africa and wearing something that identified oneself with either the Hutu or Tutsi tribes in Africa which have been hacking each other to death on and off for decades. Who would want to identify with either side?

You could wear their colours, but when you know what has been associated with the whole thing, why would you want to?

Answer 2

As a priest and bishop, Saint Patrick would have worn green vestments at liturgies during Ordinary Time during the liturgical year.

Answer 3

I did.