Growing up I never knew what it meant to be Irish. I mean, I really didn’t even look “the part,” at least that’s what people told me. The typical phenotypes of red hair, freckles and green eyes are something that I never have and never will condone. Due to this, I never felt the part of being Irish; however, all of that changed when I learned about my grandma and her love for our Irish culture.
My great-grandmother came to America from Ireland right before the start of World War II. Since then, there have been generations of our family born and raised in the United States. Even though we’re all American through and through, my family also stuck to many Irish traditions. I learned that my grandma was taught many Irish legends like Celtic Gods and Goddesses, and the importance of the harp. She was also raised learning how to Irish step dance.
The biggest thing that changed my perspective was learning about Claddagh rings. I had no idea the importance and symbolism of these rings within our culture, and that’s really when I started to fall in love with the fact that I am Irish. The Claddagh ring is made up of three basic parts: two hands, a crown, and a heart. The hands symbolize friendship, the crown symbolizes loyalty and the heart symbolizes love, all of which are the makings of a perfect, healthy relationship. The ring can also be worn in different ways to show the status of your relationship, which I thought was an interesting touch.
Like many of the women before her in our family, my grandmother was given a Claddagh ring for her 20th birthday. It was a tradition that had been in our family line for years. My mom got one, my sisters each got one and finally, I got mine just a few months ago. The ring symbolizes the makings of a relationship that is meant to last, which I tie very strongly to many of my relationships now. After learning about Claddagh rings and regularly participating in Irish traditions, I realized that it is okay to love your culture, even if you don’t always fully feel a part of it.
I may not look “the part” of a typical person of Irish descent, but I do feel the impact being Irish has had on everyone in my family. My mom and grandmother both made me realize why connecting with my culture is something to value, and ever since then I fell in love with it.