Great Greens For St. Patrick’s Day On Bark and Swagger

St. Paddy’s Baby
photo courtesy of ebay

St. Patrick’s Day is all about celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish. We know about the parades and the partying, the wearing of shamrocks and great greens. But, what I didn’t know was the history of St. Patrick, himself, and it appears to be filled with savage thievery!

What Do We Know About St. Patrick’s Early Life?

As it turns out, not too much. We do know that he was born into a wealthy family in the fourth century, not in Ireland, but in Roman Britain. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. Now, here’s where we get to the savage thievery part. Apparently, at the age of sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It’s believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland. Now, listen to this. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. This vision must have played out because, upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest, himself. If God told me how to flee my captors and it worked out, I’d be a big-time believer, too!

In 432, Patrick said that he was called back to Ireland again,  as a bishop, to Christianize the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. I thought that was a pretty cool and creative idea. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on  March 17, 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Hence, March 17 is the sacred day St. Patrick’s life is celebrated.

Why The Color Green?

Interestingly enough, the original color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years, the color green was used more and more. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick’s Day as early as the 17th century.  And, because Saint Patrick used that shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs became a key feature of the day. During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on March 17 in the hopes of catching public attention. It stuck and today, if you were to say “Wearing your blues?” to an Irishmen on St. Patrick’s Day, they’d look at you like you had two heads.

Now that we’re up to speed on St. Paddy’s, what are we going to wear? Or, more accurately, what are our adorable, furry best friends going to wear to celebrate with us? Really happy you’re here, because that’s exactly what we’re addressing in today’s post. So get comfortable, and check out some great greens with me for St. Patrick’s Day.

Proud to be Irish Tee

Proud To Be Irish Tee

Simple statement tee. Comes in a variety of colors. For those with pups of all sizes, as this comes in large, as well. A bit stretchy for comfort and machine washable, inside out. Would lay flat to dry so as not to burn the graphic in the dryer.

Where to buy: Amazon

Sizing: XS – 3XL

Price: $14.34 – $16.38

Neon Golden Grid Harness Vest

Neon Golden Harness Vest

Wow, wow, wow, this Chien Coature vest is a stunner! Made from a neon green windowpane quilted leather with highly polished golden tone rivets in varying diameters. This piece is lined with white ultra suede and has white velcro closures at the neck and belly. The D ring is made from solid brass. Attached to the D ring is a removable 24K Gold Plated Diva Dangle. A matching studded leash is also available.

Where to buy: BitchNewYork.com

Sizing: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (each piece is made to order)

Price:  $330.00. Leash is 4′ and costs $330.00

Johnny Collar in Green

Johnny Collar in Green

I love this sharp looking green patent collar with white top stitching and a crisp, white grosgrain ribbon bow. If your pup wears nothing else, he or she will still make a very fashionable statement.

Where to buy: BitchNewYork.com

Sizing: Neck measurement of 10″, 12″, 14″, 16″, 18″

Price: $12.00

Reflecta Glow PVC Raincoat

This perky, adorable bright green completely waterproof PVC material raincoat is perfect if it’s a bit nasty on March 17 and you want to protect your pooch from the weather. It

Reflecta Rain Coat

has a cozy black fleece lining, and great reflective strips across the back and sleeves, so your pup will be seen.  It’s also adjustable in three places to make for a great fit – the arms, neck and along the back edge. The cutie pie hood is removable via snaps. A very fresh look.

Where to buy: Amazon

Sizing: XS – M

Price: $25.95 – $40.98

Grassy Green Sweater

This gorgeous design is custom made for the pampered pup who likes to turn out in style. A crocheted confection with metallic threads, and accents of royal and rust, this stunner

Grass Green Sweater

is topped off with a pale green shimmery ribbon. Will look fantastic on a white, black or similar colored rust dog. A D ring harness available at no extra cost.

Where to buy: BitchNewYork.com

Sizing: XS (fits dogs from 2-6 lbs); S (fits from 6-12 lbs); Custom (fits up to 15 lbs).

Price: $86. For Custom piece, pricing available when they receive sizing.

St Pat’s Green Bow

For the girls and fashion forward boys, a St. Paddy’s hair bow with some panache! Hand-made and stiffened to retain it’s shape, this stylish hair bow features a green and white

St Pat’s Bow

shamrock design grosgrain ribbon with a sparkly clover center. About 1″ in size and attaches with two rubber bands. Really cute!

Where to buy: BitchNewYork.com

Price: $6.00

In Summary

St. Paddy’s is a time to celebrate and I hope you’ll have fun with the wonderful variety of ways your pup can participate. Always love feedback on the pieces I’ve chosen, so please comment below. Do you have a favorite piece for St. Patrick’s Day for your pooch?

Until next time…

(Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Amazon and BitchNewYork.com, so when you choose to buy something I suggest from a link on my site, I get a small commission that goes towards keeping Bark and Swagger running and toward the animal rescue and advocacy groups I regularly donate to. Thanks for helping!)