The Sterling Silver Claddagh Cross Pendant by Solvar pays tribute to Ireland's enduring symbol of love and loyalty, the Claddagh, and to our ancestors who created magnificent Celtic Crosses all over the island of Ireland.
To celebrate Easter I am delighted to offer this timeless Celtic gift as a prize for a little giveaway.
Once again I have teamed up with the good folks at Standun in Galway to bring you this lovely prize. Let's explore a little of the symbolism of this beautiful piece before I share the details of the giveaway.
Table of Contents
Symbolism of the Claddagh Cross
The Claddagh is an iconic symbol of Ireland with its history and meaning deeply rooted in Irish tradition. It is an emblem of true love, everlasting love.
The Claddagh, consists of two hands of friendship, cradling a heart of love, beneath a crown of loyalty.
This beautiful piece of jewelry, the pendant prize in our giveaway, combines the Claddagh symbol with another ancient emblem of Irish Christianity, the Celtic Cross.
Celtic Crosses are known the world over for their characteristic ring surrounding the central intersection.
The circle of the cross is considered a symbol of eternity and God’s infinite love. Others believe it represents Christ’s halo or the circle of life.
Some say St. Patrick created the cross to assist him in converting the pagan Irish to Christianity. By combining a traditional Latin cross with the circular, pagan, moon Goddess symbol, St. Patrick communicated his beliefs and great faith to the Irish. His new symbol underscored the power of Christ over the moon and the sun.
This sterling silver pendant features the Claddagh symbol as the eternal circle of the Celtic Cross making it a perfect emblem of never ending love, the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I chose this piece for our Easter giveaway because of its unique Irish appeal, its Christian symbolism and because it is an emblem of everlasting love.
I hope you like it as much as I do.
An Irish Blessing For Easter
And so, before I share the details of the giveaway, let me first share this lovely Irish blessing with you. This is a simple blessing, but it's the perfect blessing to accompany our Claddagh Celtic Cross at Easter.
“The light of God surround you
The love of God enfold you
The power of God protect you
The presence of God watch over you.”
~ Old Irish Blessing
My wish for whoever wins this pendant is that you will wear it with pride and cherish its Celtic legacy. And as you wear it, may you always remember that the light of Easter, and the light of God, always surround you.
Easter Reading
Here are a few links from years past if you would enjoy some more Irish reading for Easter ....
Irish Blessings, Reflections And Celtic Crosses For Good Friday And Easter
Good Friday Traditions In Ireland
Easter Monday In Ireland – A Day At The Races
And if you're interested in learning more about the symbolism of the Claddagh ring check out this post ....
The Claddagh Ring – Ireland’s Enduring Symbol Of Friendship, Faith, Love And Loyalty
The Giveaway
One lucky reader will win this Solvar Sterling Silver Claddagh Cross Pendant from Standún, Spiddal.
To enter just leave a comment on this blog post by noon on Sunday, April 8th, 2018.
Any comment will do. What you write does not affect your chance of winning, but if you need inspiration why not tell us if you have a favorite symbol of Ireland.
A winning comment will be chosen randomly. Remember to leave your e-mail so that I can contact you should you win. Your e-mail won’t be published, just used to contact our lucky contestant for mailing of the prize.
The winner will be announced Sunday, April 8th, 2018, at the bottom of this blog post.
You may check out Irish American Mom’s complete terms and conditions for sweepstakes’ entries by clicking here.
A big thank you to Standún, Spiddal for sponsoring this giveaway.
And please do share this post with any of your friends or family who may like to wear this precious symbol of our homeland.
Winner Chosen
A winner has been randomly chosen using the Pick Giveaway Winner Plugin for WordPress. The lucky winner of this new Claddagh Cross pendant is …..
Barbara
I’ll send our an email to let her know the good news. Many thanks to all who entered this Irish American Mom giveaway and a big thank you to Standún Spiddal for sponsoring this lovely prize.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
P.S. I do not have a business relationship with Standún, Spiddal, but simply like to promote Irish and Irish American businesses on my blog. I will always let you know if I have any business links with, or receive payment, from a third party.
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maire broderick
Very kind of you to offer the cross as a giveaway. Happy Easter to you and your family.
Colleen Wright
Hello
I seem to have a problem trying to leave a comment I have at least one other time but I wanted to comment on a question you posed”what does it mean to you to be Irish”? My I’ve many thoughts on this.One would be my love of the land the mountains,the smell the countryside after a rain the taste of a potato and how I can’t peel even one without a grandchild asking for a slice but the one thing I love the most are my Irish grandmother and mom who gave me my Catholic faith and up bringing because of these 2 incredible women I’ve made it through some dark times in my life because of my faith and my love of God.
Irish American Mom
Hi Colleen - I'm so sorry to learn you had trouble leaving a comment. The first time you comment on my blog it goes into a moderation line for approval since I get quite a few spam comments. But now my blog will recognize your email and your comments should pop up directly.
I love this comment an your explanation of what it meant to be Irish. Like you, my faith has sustained me through difficult times and losses. It is such an important part of our heritage.
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Mairéad
Heather Dunaway
I would love to win this beautiful pendant!
Heather
I love the Claddagh, Celtic Crosses, Shamrocks, the Harp and Trinity Symbols
nicole henke
What a lovely pendant. Love to win to give to my mother for her birthday
Margaret Mutter
The cross is beautiful and has so much meaning. Thank you for a chance to win ot.
Happy Easter to you and yours.
Gail
My family recently found out through DNA testing that we have much more Irish Ancestry than we thought. So to celebrate this, I now have a St. Brigid' s Cross that I wear proudly to honor my family.
Irish American Mom
What a lovely surprise, Gail. I think DNA testing is amazing, and we may discover far more people in America have Irish ancestry than previously believed.
All the best,
Mairéad
Alice Morrison
Thank you for your wonderful gifts of poems, prayers, stories, songs, recipes, etc. Love all about Ireland.
And, I love the Celtic Cross.
Blessings to you for a wonderful Easter,
Alice
Nicole Duffy
I love the claddagh i used to always wear the rings from i was a child xx
Grainne
Beautiful necklace . Bought the rings for my daughter and 2 nieces that live in New York.
Kathleen Dempsey
A friend of mine in Ireland introduced me to Standun. I love shopping there and order online from them. All of their inventory are quality. What a lovely giveaway.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathleen - Standun is a wonderful store, both online and in Spiddal. They choose the best that Ireland has to offer.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Mary Shockley
Very beautiful! Happy Easter!
Cindy Thomson
Happy Easter to you!🌸
Cindy Seppala
So beautiful. I would be honored to wear this necklace.
Susan Kurek
Thank you for offering this giveaway! I love the Celtic cross and its symbolism. A blessed Easterto you and all you Love!
JJT
Very nice cross!
Elise
Happy Easter!
Rachel D
How beautiful! And thank you for the information about the symbolism. That's something I know very little about.
Lauri Jaafari
Hi Mireade,
I love the design and the symbolism of the Claddagh, and the Celtic Cross is so rich in its historical meaning.
Even though I’m not fully Irish, my dream is to visit Ireland and connect with my roots, experience the incredible countryside and learn more about its rich history!
I’m so glad I discovered your website!
Thanks,
Lauri
Irish American Mom
Hi Lauri - I always say it doesn't matter how much Irishness is in your DNA, so long as Ireland is in your heart. I hope you do realize your dream and make it to Ireland someday soon.
All the best,
Mairéad
Marie Hall
My Irish side came to America during The Famine and the symbols of The Claddagh mean a lot to me. I would be honored to wear this Cross.
Thanks and Happy Easter,
Marie
Cat McCormick
A very Happy Easter to you and your family as well! 🐣🐣🐣
Cat McCormick
Happy Easter to you and your family as well! 🐣🐣🐣
Veronica Vatter
So pretty
Carol J Mallory
An Irish heart in Oklahoma. A lovely connection this would be.
Deirdre O'Brien
I have a Claddagh Ring and love the meaning behind the symbols. The cross is beautiful!
Suzanne
I hope you enjoyed a Happy Easter! What a beautiful pendant and so kind of you to offer it as a giveaway. Thank you.
Bernadette
This is a beautiful pendant. Would love to have it.
Kathy Johnson
Enjoy your blog so very much! In 2016 I was fortunate to realize my dream of visiting Ireland, your blog helps keep that precious experience alive for me. Bright Blessings on you this Easter and throughout the year.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathy - Lovely to hear you enjoyed your trip to Ireland. Stop by my corner of the web whenever you need to reconnect with your Irish heritage.
All the best,
Mairéad
Karen Weaver
Happy Easter !
Kathleen
The Claddagh earrings that I have of my Mom’s is a special one to me. I think that my Grandmother Lowry always said “Glory be to God” when we came in the door to her home was more Ireland to me. Hope your Easter was a blessed one.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathleen - In years gone by many Irish people exclaimed "Glory be to God" whenever someone visited with a little nugget of news. My granny from West Cork often said "Glory be to God." She would sometimes go further and say, "Glory be to God, and all that is merciful." She had a whole litany of holy expressions and exclamations. That may be a blog topic for another day.
All the best, and thanks for the inspiration.
Mairéad
Penny Wolf
I enjoy your blog and getting to know you. Thank you for all that you share.
fiona sharkey
just back from.an easter in Galway haven't been in years fab ..my daughter Aoibhinn pronounced A.veen to those who can't...got herself a pair of claddagh earrings. this chain would be so pretty with it .
Kathleen Clark
My son youngest son and his bride are traveling to Ireland at the end of this month.
He has never been before, but has been listening for years about how much I enjoyed
My only visit. I wish for him the most magical of experiences!
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathleen - I hope Ireland will be everything they dreamed it could be. Ireland is a magical destination and it's lovely to hear you were blessed to experience it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Cheryl Barker
Love why you chose this particular piece of jewelry, Mairead. What beautiful symbolism and a beautiful testimony shared with your readers. Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
Irish American Mom
I hope you too had a lovely Easter, Cheryl. Thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Kelly D
I love this pendant. My wedding band is from Ireland.
Rose
My husband and I chose Claddagh rings when we married, when he passed away five years ago, on April 2, 2013, I placed his ring on my hand and now I wear his next to mine, for I know he is always with me, until we meet again in Heaven. Peace and blessings to you ✌🙏🍀
Irish American Mom
Hi Rose - I'm so sorry to hear you lost your husband a few years ago. Wearing both of your Claddaghs is a lovely way to remember him, and to remind you that he is right by your side. I think the Claddagh is a beautiful wedding ring. It is so culturally significant for Irish people and a wonderful way to celebrate our heritage when getting married.
Thanks so much for sharing your story.
Mairéad
Rose
Hi Mairead,
I have just recently discovered your blog and I enjoy the recipes, musings and all the wonderful Irish history you share. Your blog has truly been a blessing to me, I have subscribed so I can receive your e-mails. My family emigrated from Ireland in the late 1800's after the famine, and settled in 'coal country' in Pennsylvania, working in the mines.
Thank you for your kind words. Peace and Blessings to you.✌🙏
Irish American Mom
Thanks so much for subscribing, Rose. I really appreciate it and look forward to many more chats in the future as we delve into all things Irish and Irish American. Looking forward to learning more about your family's immigrant tale too.
All the best,
Mairéad
Carolsue
Leprechauns are my favorite symbol of Ireland!
Lisa
A beautiful piece of jewellery, rich in Irish sentiment & beliefs!
Anita Carol Gambrell
This have always intrigued me! Beautiful!
Margaret Fitzgerald
Love your blog!!
Linda Goodnight
The Claddagh cross is such a beautiful symbol of Ireland. Love it!
irishnannie
Beautiful Irish Cross!
So interesting your explanation, Mairead, of the possibility of St. Patrick combining the cross with the pagan symbol...I've thought, too, as others may have, of the similarity of the shamrock to the ancient triskele symbol...adding a greater depth of relevance to his listeners. St. Pat sure had it goin' on!
Thank you and, as always, God bless you, Mairead!
Irish American Mom
Hi Irishnannie - I too love the story about St. Patrick combining the cross with the sun symbol. And the shamrock definitely seems to be connected to the triskele/trinity knot symbol. St. Patrick truly was an inspiration. I must delve into his writings and story a little more on my blog.
All the best,
Mairéad