Happy St. Patrick’s Day

It’s March! For many of us in the US that means one thing, St. Patrick’s Day! It is a call to celebrate shamrocks, leprechauns, and everything Irish. St. Patrick’s Day, for many, is the day to celebrate Irish heritage through dance, song, and camaraderie.

Even though the roots of St. Patrick’s Day run deep, the holiday itself wouldn’t appear until much later in the 9th or 10th century. Furthermore, traditions that modern folk typically associate with St. Patrick’s Day – the color green, corned beef, and parades – didn’t catch on until much later. While the earliest known St. Patrick’s Day parade can be traced back to a Spanish colony in Florida in 1601, the tradition gained popularity when the Potato Famine of 1845 forced over 1 million Irish Catholics to immigrate across the Atlantic. Initially discriminated against for their heritage and beliefs, newly arrived immigrants quickly realized the political power of numbers and organized themselves in major cities like Boston and New York City. St. Patrick’s Day parades soon became a centerpiece of Irish pride, celebration, and influence. Today, annual parades around the world feature elaborate floats, music, and balloons. Chicago even started the tradition of dying their river green.

While we don’t have a green river or a St. Patrick’s day parade, that doesn’t mean your family can’t enjoy this year’s holiday with some fun activities.

Here are a few suggestions to add to your fun:

• Green clothing. Challenge the kids to go for the green by pulling together as many green clothing items as they can find for the day.
• Green food. Add some green dye to your pancake batter or mashed potatoes, serve mint ice cream or a green shake for dessert, or make a traditional Irish dish like a hearty beef stew.
• Listen to Irish music. Download traditional Irish music complete with plenty of fiddle playing.
• Get crafting. We have ideas for simple St. Patrick’s Day crafts at MontereyBayParent.com.
• Set a leprechaun trap. The “traps” are set up the night before St. Patrick’s Day, and children awaken to discover signs that leprechauns have visited the trap. You can find directions for traps online.