According to ancient Irish myth, every rainbow has a pot of gold at the end, guarded by a somewhat mischievous leprechaun. Whilst this might not be the first image of Christmas that springs to mind for some people in the festive season, as leprechauns are associated most often with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations – this Christmas season you can while away hours playing some amazing online games designed around these devilishly tricky little mythical creatures.

But do you know how leprechauns became guards of the gold at the end of the rainbow? Here are a few interesting facts about these special members of the fairy world.

• Leprechauns have their origin in ancient Irish folklore – most often depicted as little old men dressed all in green, and believed to be extremely mischievous.
• They are characterized as being somewhat solitary souls, spending most of their time as cobblers, making and mending shoes.
• If captured by a human, leprechauns are believed to grant the person three wishes before being set free again.
• Leprechauns are reported to have gained their wealth (hence the association with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow) through discovering buried war treasure in ancient times and keeping it for themselves.
• Most Irish people agree that the modern image of the leprechaun bears more of a resemblance to stereotypical characteristics of the Irish themselves rather than to any accurate depiction of the creature according to ancient Irish folklore.
• Irish history regarding fairies makes no mention of any female leprechauns – they all appear as old men, often bearded, drunken and mischievous.
• Amazingly, leprechauns enjoy protection under EU law as an endangered species – yes, there’s actually an area in Ireland, near Carlingford, which is purportedly the home of various leprechauns, and it’s protected under a special EU directive related to habitats of endangered species. According to locals, there are a few hundred leprechauns that inhabit the area.
• The ‘leprechaun – rainbow – gold’ connection is often thought to derive from rainbows supposedly marking ancient Irish burial grounds, which like the ends of rainbows, were almost impossible to find, and the fact that Irish immigrants in America in the 1800s were some of the first to discover gold and silver on the east coast, and as many perceived the Irish to be ‘not too smart’ at that time, their gold finds were attributed to sheer luck.

Leprechauns are well known for their practical jokes, sense of humour and trickery – so if you fancy having some fun this festive season, why not try some of the many leprechaun themed games available online such as Rainbow Riches and try your luck at finding your own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Who knows, if you’re super lucky you may capture yourself one of these little mischievous fairies and get three special wishes into the bargain – now that would really be a Christmas gift to remember for sure!