Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Are you wearing green today? I am. In fact, I’m also wearing my shamrock necklace and earrings that my sister bought me for my birthday two years ago. I missed being born on St. Patrick’s Day by four days. My brother missed it by one day.
When I was growing up, my mother always made corned beef and cabbage for dinner. I won’t be making corned beef for my kids because they don’t like it. So I guess it will be some other form of beef with potatoes. I’m still not sure how my sons can be Irish and not like corned beef.
My children have grown up in a very un-ethnic area. Where I was raised there were sections of town and people knew that more Irish lived in one area, more Italians lived in another, etc., etc.
Because of that, we were more in tune with our ancestors and traditions. Besides the
St. Patrick’s Day parade there was the Greek festival, and the wonderful handmade pierogies that the ladies at the polish church made every Friday during lent. (Boy, do I miss those!)Around here, you have to go to Baltimore for that ethnic flavor. I think my kids have missed out on a lot of fun traditions because of the lack of ethnicity around here.
What traditions did you celebrate as a child? Do you still celebrate them? Are doing anything special to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
To help celebrate, I’m giving away a signed ARC of my June release, One Night Scandal to one commenter today!
Oooh, Ooh. A ARC for the next Christie Kelley book. So, excited!
ReplyDeleteHappy Saint Patty's Day.
"Everyone's Irish Today."- Boondock Saints.
Traditions for Saint Patrick's Day as a kid were Corned Beef and Cabbage, wearing green or my dad would pinch you (he pinched really hard), plus my Grandma would always send a card with shamrock stickers. By the end of the day I would be covered.
ReplyDeleteThis year we have a Green Potluck at work, yowza! Not sure how it's going to turn out seeing that everything we bring has to be green.
For my evening a dose of Boondock Saints, Green Beer, and some time with the DH. We like to spend St. Patrick's Day together, quietly.
Darn - just missed the green-dyed rooster (he wasn't fond of that BTW - but we must do what we must).
ReplyDeleteI'm Irish on my mother's side. My great -grandparents immigrated from County Cork. We always wore green on St. Patricks Day and I recall my father singing "When Irish Eyes are smiling" after dinner every year.
I don't recall my mother making any special Irish dishes, but I always make Reuben sandwiches for dinner. I don't think it's necessarily Irish - but it does use corned beef and sauerkraut (csbbage) and my kids loved them. So now it's a tradition.
When the kids were little, we used to build elaborate leprechaun traps using gold coins as bait. Could never catch them though. In the morning the traps would be sprung and the gold coins gone.
Hey, Slush, you'll have to paint the rooster green! He'll be the GREEN rooster!
ReplyDeleteWe never really did much for St. Paddy's day in the family although I remember working in a very Irish area of Brisbane where the pubs served green beer. Hmm, have my doubts about that!
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! And may whatever snakes currently infest your life be banished forever!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
ReplyDeleteThe only tradition that I can remember as a kid about St. Patrick's Day was wearing green or getting pinched. The day reminds me of my grandfather though, he had all kinds of Irish collectibles, including hats, pins, etc that said "Kiss me, I'm Irish". I don't know how much Irish blood he actually had, but it will always remind me of him and therefore be very special to me.
As a kid we didn't celebrate St. Patty's day. I have no idea why not. We are irish. Hmm...
ReplyDeleteThis year I plan on visiting a couple different Irish themed pubs. I'm pretty excited.
LOL! Happy wearing of the green! My mom made corned beef and cabbage every year for St. Patrick's Day, and we're Chinese ;) My kids love it now that their grandmother makes it every year :D
ReplyDeleteWell done Slush have fun with him
ReplyDeleteChristie
We never did much for St Paddy's day either although we do seem to wear something green on the day LOL, and I love cornbeef and cabbage but we are having spaghetti bol tonight I love that as well.
I grew up in an ethnic area and still live in one so there are lots of different festivals around here and I love all the different foods yumo.
Love the sound of that ARC as well Christie I am really looking forward to June so as I can read it.
Happy St Patrick's Day everyone
Have Fun
Helen
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Irish...especially the accent (hello Colin Farrell!!!)
ReplyDeleteI can remember doing Easter Egg hunts with one Granny (non religious)and then Church for Psalm Sunday with my other Gran. Other than that just your average, regular, recognized celebrations.
well done slush...enjoy him
ReplyDeleteThey do have a St Patricks Day parade through Sydney CBD here but as Helen says we are in an ethnic area but it more asian so we have a lot of firecrackers different times of the year.....
Love the sound of an ARC
Happy St Patricks Day
I've always known that March 17 is St Patricks day. But we never celebrated it when I was a kid. Now I just say: Happy St. Pats & wear my silver shamrock necklace. Do'nt have any green clothes or like to eat cabbages.
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Paddy's Day! I woke up in green this morning and will be changing into green "day" clothes shortly. I'm of Irish descent but don't remember celebrating St. Patrick's Day as a child though we did wear green to as not to get pinched. The first big celebration I remember was in college where we did it up big with corned beef, cabbage, dark bread and beer at a local restaurant.
ReplyDeleteThis year I'll be celebrating at my neighbor's annual St. Patrick's dinner with decorations, fun and lots of great food!
Can't wait to get my hands on your next book, Christie. Seems like I've been waiting forever for Sophie's book! :)
Congrats, Slush!
Have a bit of the Irish in me as well, always had corned beef and cabbage for dinner and of course wearin o the green was a must. I bought a pair of Shamrock earrings but I couldn't find them on a bet right now. Overhauling the bedroom so things will be lost for a while I am afraid.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, an ARC from Christine would be a lovely St. Patrick's Day gift.
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! I will definitely be wearing green, and I have green eyes so I'm always wearing green, so to speak. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm Irish on my mom's side, but I don't remember doing anything special to celebrate. Always wore green, though.
Since I've been researching my genealogy in the past few months, I've realized how many traditions have been lost over the last couple of generations. :-( I guess I should revive a few.
Christie, my daughter doesn't like corned beef, but my boys do. I usually make Irish stew, so my daughter doesn't complain too much.
Can't wait for the new book!
Slush, that sounds like a great St. Paddy's Day...except possibly all the green food at work. I'm not sure I could do that.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I love the leprechaun traps. My kids would have loved that when they were young.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I have to admit, I've never had green beer. It's a big thing over here. Well, that and dying the Chicago river green. I always thought that was odd.
ReplyDeleteJune, what wonderful memories of your grandfather. When I was young, we had all kids of Irish pins we would wear to school. I wonder what happened to them.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, have fun at the pubs.
ReplyDeleteFedora, I love that your mom made corned beef and cabbage! That makes you Irish for a day!
ReplyDeleteOh, Helen. Spaghetti on St. Patrick's Day?! That's just not right :)
ReplyDeleteCath, who doesn't love a good Irish accent. Or Colin Farrell for that matter.
ReplyDeleteBarb, I haven't been to a good St. Patrick's Day parade since I was a kid. Maybe next year, I'll see if there is one in Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirsten, a lot of families don't celebrate the day. My father was very into his heritage and visited Ireland several times. So it was an important day to him.
ReplyDeleteHi PJ, wearing the green was important when I was younger because there was always someone ready to pinch you.
ReplyDeleteHi Dianna, well you're in the running for it.
ReplyDeleteGannon, I would love to know more about some of the lost traditions. And beef stew sounds fabulous!
ReplyDeleteTop O'the Mornin' to you Ms. Kelly!
ReplyDeleteOkay, other than doing a great accent when telling my favorite joke, that's as Irish as I get. Now my kids on the other hand, lay claim to being Irish on their father's side. (They all have a bit of it in their Irish noses!)
We've never been big on ethnic traditions, but it was always very important to me that my kids knew where they came from. Not just in their genes, but who their grandparents and great grandparents were, what kind of people they were and where their roots were.
They all have a love of Ohio, since that's were they and I were born. They know and have been to their grandparents home town in Tennessee.
They all have strong work ethics and are very responsible people. That they get from their family ties. And family is the most important part of their lives.
I guess that's the tradition I wanted to pass down to them!
Suz, a strong family is the best tradition to hand down to kids. Happy St. Paddy's Day!
ReplyDeleteWe didn't do much for St. Patrick's Day--being we're not overly Irish. I mean, I'm sure we're Irish somewhere, but Mom was never going to throw a parade about it. But I love getting into it. I have on my green today; and I lugged in a crockpot of Irish Beef Stew for the coworkers. (Granted it'd be more authentic with lamb, but lamb was not available at the store and the recipe said "Irish BEEF Stew" so I'm going to pretend it's good and Irish. It's got plenty of potatoes in it, if that helps.)
ReplyDeleteI plan to make some corned beef and cabbage (LOVE IT! I totally stock up and freeze corned beef at this time of year because it's on sale) and some horseradish-sour cream mashed potatoes.
MsHellion, you're making me hungry! I may have to make a run to the store for some corned beef just for me today.
ReplyDeleteI'm Irish on my mother's side, but most of our traditions were rooted in place rather than blood. Southern is its own ethnicity. Really! Studies show that transplanted Southerners take their language, religion, food, etc. with them just as ethnic groups do.
ReplyDeleteWe did wear green on St. Patrick's day. I'm wearing a green shirt now and will add my shamrock brooch, a gift a friend brought me from Ireland, when I go out later today. We're having Reubens tonight too, Donna. I'm always in favor of an easy dinner. :)
Janga, all this talk of reuben sandwiches is making me think of lunch. I'm going to have to make one.
ReplyDeleteSlush, congrats on the bird!
ReplyDeleteChristie, I see the cover fairy continues to love you. What a great book cover!
We didn't celebrates St. Patrick's Day in any big way when I was growing up, just tried to wear green that day.
The boy takes Spanish and so has an interest in Cinco de Mayo, and we go to our local Greek Festival every year. There's also an International Festival at the university, which we sometimes attend, and a Japanese Festival the boy tries never to miss.
Nancy, those festivals sound like fun. There is a Greek festival in Annapolis in late summer. I may have to go this year.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY EVERYONE!
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day. Currently, I'm not wearing green, but then no one is around to pinch me. :)
ReplyDeleteI believe I have some Irish ancestry (Shahan sounds pretty Irish, doesn't it?), but I've not made it back with the genealogy documentation yet.
I grew up in rural Kentucky, and let's just say it wasn't very ethnic. I have a friend in the D.C. area who has exposed me to a lot of different ethnic foods -- liked the Vietnamese, not so much the Lebanese. Typically, my "ethnic" foods run in the vein of Mexican, Chinese and Italian. :)
It wasn't something celebrated much in our house since we were all Sicilian lol but I always try to wear green. We are going out tonight (it's our darts night with friends) and I have to think there is going to be some green beer in my future!! And can you believe I am just hearing about the pinching now!!! and I'm old as dirt so that's saying something!
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds wonderful!!
Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone.
Hmmmm....is there any reason not to party??????
ReplyDeleteWell the corned beef and cabbage is cooking up nicely...Yummy
I also baked up some nice Irish soda bread to go along with it. And yes I still pinch people that aren't wearing green today. My mom actually went back in her room and changed clothes as she yelled "You're 34 really??"...LOL
As for other things I do...Well there's May day Boxes, Big BBQ on the 4th of July, Easter egg hunts (we put money in the eggs...so you better believe I'm there!),I don't think we don't really not party...I mean if I'm not throwing it my neighbor is. There is no reason not to have fun, we only have one life to live!
LOL No celebrations here - not an ounce of the green stuff in our blood, though my BIL is Irish. It is, however, the Persian New Year (No Rooz) this weekend, so will be celebrating that on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one with no Irish in me? *g*
Happy St Pat's to all of you who celebrate.
Having grown up in various locations around the world, I love melting pot neighbourhoods. Love all the different traditions and food!
Christie - so excited to see your new book is close to release!
Virginia, you have a great St. Paddy's Day, too!
ReplyDeleteTrish, consider yourself pinched. Living in suburbia, there isn't a lot of choices of ethnic foods here either.
ReplyDeletecatslady, darts and green beer sounds pretty Irish to me!
ReplyDeleteWow, about the pinching thing. It's been around since I was a kid.
There is no reason not to have fun, we only have one life to live! I love this, BJ! It's so true. Enjoy the corned beef!
ReplyDeleteI'm wearing my green today! Mmmm, corned beef & cabbage, that's lunch today.
ReplyDeleteWe had the basic traditions, New Years Day we always had black eyed peas & greens. Also did sugar cookies. Every holiday had its own cookie cutter and mom would dye the dough & frosting to match the theme.
Most of the foods have been dropped to please my own family, but the sugar cookies still reign supreme.
Anna, my kids have an Italian last name and yet they have more Irish in them than anything. And other than the brown eyes, they both look more Irish than Italian.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Persian New Year!
Hi Jenn3128, I ran out and bought some corned beef and cheese so I'll make Reubens for dinner tonight. I can't wait. It sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI love sugar cookies too. I usually only make them at Christmas, though.
Top O' The Mornin all my fine Banditas and BBs!
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe it's actually the bottom of the morning but what the heck! Isn't EVERYONE a wee bit Irish today? I know you won't believe this, but as a kid we didn't do anything special on St. Patrick's day except wear green. NONE of us liked cabbage so forget that dish and lamb was waaay too expensive so we didn't do that one either. My mom was far more likely to make pot roast. :-P
Congrats on the rooster, Slush. And yes, Gladiator Marcus and Cabana boy Liam did give him a quick dip in some green dye. A HUGE ruckus ensued...
AC
who LURVES the look of Christie's new cover
AC, it's more like afternoon around here :)
ReplyDeleteHey pot roast with potatoes works on St. Paddy's Day. Although a lamb stew would be so much better.
Since it would be kind of strange here so a no there :) But I personally like to wear something green at least
ReplyDeleteHappy Saint Patty's Day!
ReplyDeleteWell, we obviously don't celebrate that here.
A leprechaun from Heidi Betts:
http://heidibetts.com/2011/03/happy-hunk-day-st-patricks-edition/#comments
http://www.offthemark.com/stpatty/stpatty.htm
The Dubliners-Whiskey in the Jar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eOIU9ekSMk
U2 - Sweetest Thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WybiA263bw
Riverdance: Lift the Wings, a song of love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL0lSGy52Wo
Riverdance - Eurovision Song Contest 1994 Dublin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaDzCySXhqQ&feature=related
Happy St. Patrick's Day. Does having a Shamrock shake count as a tradition? I remember wearing green to school and the teach would give out a little treat(candy.) There's a huge parade in the city and people do go a little crazy, but I've never actually attended in person.
ReplyDeleteBlodeuedd, wearing green is perfectly acceptable :)
ReplyDeleteJane, I had a shamrock shake the other day. It tasted pretty good. I've never attended one of the bigger parades. The town I grew up in always had a small parade and I used to attend.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid we all tried to wear some green on St Patrick's Day.
ReplyDeleteHappy St Patrick's Day!
We always have corned beef and cabbage at home that I roast in the oven. I also pass out green beads for everyone at work and have an office post luck. It's a really good party.
ReplyDeleteSláinte chugat!
Good health to you!
I don't really remember many ethnic
ReplyDeletetraditions celebrated by my Hispanic
family. The females of both sides of
the family would gather at the home
of each side's grandparents and make
tamales for Christmas. Oh, there were
always pinatas for birthday parties
and quinceaneras for the 15 y/o girls.
And I mustn't forget the traditional
items which were an important part
of Hispanic-Catholic weddings.
My main connection to March 17 is that
I was named for today's particular saint and it's my saint's day. I think my Dad must be the one who named me.
I knew I was in big trouble when he called for "Patrick Ann!" I tease my
husband that it was destined for us
to marry. It was my Irish first name
in search of an Irish surname. Two of
his great-grandfathers were from
Ireland. Their surnames were Fahey and
Cochran.
Pat Cochran
When I was growing up in Niagara Falls, NY, the majority in the city were Italian. We celebrated St. Joseph's Day. People who were more well-to-do had a feast every year and the entire neighborhood was invited. It was wonderful. I'm not sure if some of the invited contributed. I was a kid. I ate my fill of crusty homemade breads and articokes and Italian cookies. It went on all afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI usually celebrate St. Patrick's Day by serving Guinness beef stew and Irish bread. I've had my shamrock placemats on all month.:-)
We had it on Sunday this year because two of my sisters could join us for dinner. That was more important than having it today.
Oh, I forgot. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.
ReplyDeleteFor St Patrick's day my family didn't really celebrate, except to wear some green. I think my mom might have cooked corn beef and cabbage occasionally, but that's about it. I still always wear green, don't want to take a chance at getting pinched. :D
ReplyDeleteBarbed1951 at aol dot com
Christie -- I'm with you about missing some of those old traditions that come with ethnic communities & blue collar towns. Was in Pittsburgh last wknd for a family event & saw on the local news website a listing of fish fries during lent at local churches, firehalls & clubs. I remember making rounds during the summer to various church festivals with lots of homemade goodies like perogies, rigatoni, and fried dough. Was annoying being dragged to them as a teen but wouldn't mind seeing one once in a while now that I'm older.
ReplyDeleteDon't recall having corned beef as a kid myself so I could take it or leave it. Tonight's dinner was beef roast & fried cabbage & onion -- yummy :)
Happy St Patrick's day to all the Bandita's & Buddies -- may there be plenty of rainbows in your lives.
No Irish ancestry in my family, Christie, so no traditions. Well, I guess I did have one tradition as a kid and teen - I'd always have a Shamrock Shake from McDonalds *g*
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day, All!
LilMIssMolly, I forgot to wear my green beads today!
ReplyDeletePat, I love that your Irish first name was searching for an Irish last name. Enjoy the day!
ReplyDeleteelainec, having any holiday with family is more important than on the "actual" day itself.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, I had my green on all day just so I didn't get pinched. Although, I only left the house once so it probably didn't matter.
ReplyDeletegamemistress, I really do miss all the festivals. I'm going to have to search some out this year.
ReplyDeleteBeth, did you have your shamrock shake? I actually think they're better now than they used to be.
ReplyDeleteSlush got the GR - Green Rooster! Nobody pinches the Rooster. (That sounds obscene!)
ReplyDeleteA dear friend gave me a lovely pin with an actual four leaf clover / shamrock inside it. She brought it back from her trip to Ireland. I wore it today to avoid being pinched!
We always celebrated St. Patrick's Day when I was growing up. Corned beef, cabbage and her homemade soda bread. Really funny as she is full-blooded Native American and Dad was three quarters Welsh and a quarter English. But with a maiden name like Jones my Mom has always known there was an Irishman in her family somewhere!
She still makes the big meal and my brothers and their families get to join her. Most of the time I miss it because I have to work. So, I made my own corned beef and trimmings tonight.
And I'm watching my DVD of Celtic Women too.
Can't WAIT to read your latest, Christie. LOVE your books and that cover is gorgeous! You definitely have the "luck of the Irish" when it comes to your covers!
I didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day that much when I was kid as I didn't have that many Irish friends. I did have many Jewish so I generally remember Hanukkah and such. I remember playing with a dreidel and chocolate gelt when I was very young (no, my family is not Jewish).
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for "One Night Scandal"! This cover is even hotter than "Scandal of the Season", with my favorite cover model Paul Marron as Nicholas Tenbury, Marquess of Ancroft. Plus, I'm looking forward to Sophie's story.