This Saint Patrick’s Day everyone can get as green as a shamrock or a leprechaun, even if they are not Irish, though the Irish are especially associated with this holiday!
On March 17 you will see people wearing green and celebrating at home or a bar. St. Patrick’s Day often includes drinking and people sometimes even dye their beer green for the occasion. A few drops of blue food coloring will do the trick. (Don’t drink if you are not 21!)
Traditional foods to eat include Irish soda bread and corned beef and sometimes a ham for dessert, or green Jell-O with cool whip. There are good Irish movies to watch such as “The Commitments,” and parades to attend including the one in NYC’s 5th Avenue which is happening this year.
People like to get creative and some even tie-dye their pets’ fur, though it is probably better to tie-dye a nice shirt with swirls of green and then let your dog wear it. You can put on green nail polish for yourself.
Did you know that these celebrations came out of Irish pride during waves of immigration to the US? Also, the original St. Patrick wasn’t even from Ireland. He lived in the fifth century and was actually born in Roman Britain!
We surveyed some MCCC students and found out that most of them are not of Irish descent but that they do enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s day.
One of the best things to do on St. Patrick’s day is find some Irish neighbors to hang out with. Maybe your neighbors aren’t from Ireland, but their family tree might stretch back to the “Emerald Isle.” You might be able to identify a few by their common Irish last names including O’Mally, Byrne, O’Sullivan, O’Connor, Walsh, and even, yes, Gallagher!
