Happy St. Patrick's Day = Happy Springtime

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is perhaps my favorite holiday of the whole year -- not only do I celebrate my Irishness, but St. Patrick's Day is also synonymous with the beginning of Spring to me. As a gardener, there is no more happy time than the end of winter and the coming of warmer days and growing green and flowers. The association of St. Patrick with the emerald green of the Emerald Isle makes the holiday that much more meaningful to gardeners.

We go all-out for our celebrations in our house. I'll begin simmering the corned beef this afternoon and add the potatoes and cabbage toward the end. We'll start with one or more Irish cheeses (set out with one of my St. Patrick's Day cheese spreaders from my ridiculous collection), washed down with Irish beer such as Guinness or Murphy's. And I often buy a piece of Bailey's Irish Cream cake from our local natural foods co-op for dessert (heavenly!).

I decorate the table with St. Patrick's Day items, we wear our green gear and bedeck ourselves with the "swag" I've picked up over the years including a collection of silly leprechaun hats, and listen to classic Irish-American tunes (more 1940s NYC Irish than ancient Ireland music, I admit).

I wish everyone a fun and food-filled St. Patrick's Day, whether your Irishness is inherited or assumed just for the day -- as they say, "On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish!" Thanks for reading, -Beth

(Flickr.com: Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916)