No St. Patrick’s Day Parade or Party?
Fun Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Home
St. Patrick’s Day started as a religious celebration in the 17th century to commemorate Saint Patrick’s life and Christianity’s arrival to Ireland. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against consuming meat were waived, and people would dance, drink and eat a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. In the early 18th century, Irish immigrants brought the tradition over to the American colonies. As more Irish came across the Atlantic, the celebration slowly grew and morphed from a religious celebration to a secular one. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston in 1737, and the celebration has only grown larger since that first parade.
While the ongoing pandemic is responsible for the cancellation of parades and other group celebrations, there are ways to celebrate at home that the entire family will enjoy. Whether you cook traditional Irish specialties, research Irish history or get crafty, you can still have lots of Irish-themed fun this March 17! IN THE KITCHEN Cook an authentic Irish recipe. While it’s traditional to eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, it is not an authentic Irish food. Instead of corned beef and cabbage, the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal eaten in Ireland contains lamb or bacon. Another authentic Irish food you may want to make with the kids is Soda Bread. No matter what recipe you choose, the best way to enjoy it is sliced warm and spread liberally with butter. Another baked treat the kids may enjoy is Barmbrack. This fruity tea loaf is traditionally served smothered in butter with a cup of tea in the afternoon. You can find our favorite recipes for corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and Barnbrack at MontereyBayParent.com. Eat green foods all day. Instead of going traditional, get creative and serve only green foods for each meal. For breakfast, serve green pancakes washed down with green milk. For lunch, how about an assortment of green vegetables with spinach dip or Ranch dressing dyed green? Dinner can be green pasta. Add a green smoothie for a snack, and your green day will be complete. GET CRAFTY Leprechaun pranks. According to Irish legend, these magical elves spend their time mending shoes and making practical jokes and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They are notorious for causing mischief the night before St. Patrick’s Day. Parents can have some fun of their own by setting up a few leprechaun pranks. Easy pranks include: turning the milk green, leaving green footprints, and turning the toilet water green. You can mix up the children’s shoes or put the toothpaste in the fridge. The kids will have fun discovering where the leprechauns have left signs of their mischief. For every mischievous act, the leprechaun could leave behind a Shamrock sticker to tell the kids who is responsible.
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MONTEREY BAY PARENT • march 2021
