Arcadia Ireland

As our students in Ireland prepare to fan out all over the country on our charity shop trails in search of the best outfits for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Festival on the 17^th of March, we invite them to participate in our Photo Contest! Our charity shop trails offer you all a chance to reuse/recycle clothing to piece together an outfit that both represents the push for sustainability and Irish cultural expression. The student to put together the best outfit for under €25 will receive a €50 amazon voucher! Read on for more info on the history of St. Patrick’s Day and guidelines for submitting your photo.

St. Patrick’s Day (also known as Paddy’s Day to some) is a celebration in honor of the patron saint of Ireland (Saint Patrick) who is said to have been a missionary responsible for the spread of Christianity on the Emerald Isle. Until the 1970’s it was a predominantly religious celebration involving mass and a feast with family and friends. The sale of alcohol was actually banned on the day until 1960. However, in our increasingly globalized world of travel the proliferation of Irish history and culture in the English speaking world has transformed the patron saint’s day into a massive celebration of Irish culture in Ireland and many parts of the United States with large numbers of Irish descendants.

This year in Dublin the festival will go forward for the first time in two years with the theme of Naisc (meaning connections). From the 16^th to the 20^th of March, the Museum Quarter will be awash with activities, parades, and crafts for people from all over to come and enjoy. More information on what cultural activities are taking place that week can be found here.

As our students prepare to take part in this special festival, we want to see what your creative minds have designed! How have you gone beyond the shamrocks and leprechauns to capture the heart of Irish cultural expression whether it be in your fabric textures, color coordination, or the meaning behind  your clothing purchase?

Submissions can be made by posting your photo online and tagging @arcadiaireland on Instagram, or by emailing handg@arcadia.edu. Be sure to include a brief description of how you went about choosing this outfit and what is means in relation to celebrating Ireland. Submissions are accepted for the first two weeks of March with the winner revealed shortly after St. Patrick’s Day. As Always, don’t forget to tag us in your adventures with #arcadiaireland to be featured on our Instagram page. Cheers!