For all the nerds out there-it's me, I'm the nerd-we'll begin with a short history lesson.
Who was St. Patrick? In short, he was a missionary to Ireland who was credited for bringing Christianity to the peoples of the island. Born in the 400s AD in Britain, he was captured by Irish pirates when he was 16 and sold into slavery. He was held captive as a slave in Ireland for six years. He managed to escape and returned home. After studying theology for a decade and a half, he returned to Ireland, where he lived out his life preaching and teaching.
What is the history of St. Patrick's Day? The holiday originally began in Ireland somewhere in the 9-10th century as a Catholic feast day. Irish emigrants brought their celebrations and traditions to the United States so that whatever our background or heritage, we can all share them at least one day a year.
Why do we honor an Irish saint? If you dig into St. Patrick's life, and please do (most of this material was sourced from britannica.com), we can learn much from this learned man. He exhibited boldness in sharing his faith, a willingness to serve people groups very different from his own, and humility in his education. In addition, we have the opportunity to learn more about the anthropology of Ireland. Last but not least, many fun customs brighten the waning days of winter for those of us who live in the northern regions of the country.
Now we're getting to the good part-how do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
You know I'm going to say cookies-for the office, classroom, dinner parties (corned beef and cabbage, anyone?) and more. Of course we have cutters...
...and it's a very versatile set for lots of holidays year round! Of course we have ideas for decorating from YourCookieConnection...
...and a step-by-step guide by The Crafting Foodie.
Cookies can also be taken along to a parade. I did a quick Google search and found several St. Patrick's Day parades where I live in Northwest Indiana. There should be one within a short drive of your residence, unless you live waaaaay out in the country. In that case, you may have to settle for a scavenger hunt with the kids for four-leaf clovers in the yard. Of course, you can decorate/serve/eat cookies afterward.
You may (or may not) be wondering, why so much green? Ireland seems to display every shade of the color in its rolling hills, pastures and trees (picture courtesy of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art).
And as we all know, shamrocks, the flower of Ireland, are green. These are the reasons we wear this lovely hue every March 17.
In closing, I leave you with a beautiful Irish blessing-
1 comment
Too cute!!