St Patrick's Day has come and gone with barely a second thought. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic really threw a wrench into our day of celebration and fun. It was a busy week for me getting used to having the kiddos home from school, not leaving the house and still recovering from influenza the week prior. We are all in this together, right?!
However, I don't want to forget the little celebration we always have at our house just because of the turmoil around the world. Traditions are good and comforting and for me a nice reminder of the decade I lived in Ireland. I love remembering my time living abroad. On St Patrick's Day in Ireland, it's a day off work, the schools have little parades, mass is usually done in Irish and everyone seems to be in a really great mood! It's an official day off work and school, why wouldn't you be in a good mood! In all the years I lived in Ireland I only spent one St Patrick's Day in Dublin. The parade was great, the craic was mighty, but once was plenty.
Historically speaking, St Patrick's Day was a way for the Irish diaspora to celebrate 'home' after immigrating abroad. Boston & Chicago have two of the world's largest St Patrick's Day celebrations, however, it seems most major cities around the world do some version of the holiday now. The beer gets dyed green, people wear plastic green hats and various "kiss me I'm Irish" t-shirts and pins are worn for the day. The Trad music is on full display and we all eat corned beef and cabbage. That's our contribution to celebrating "home".
It wasn't that long ago (20-ish years?) that Tourism Ireland decided to bring things back to Dublin by capitalizing on the idea that people of Irish ancestry would literally travel home for the celebration. It is now a week-long event in Dublin with not only the huge parade but also a large focus on Ireland's rich heritage and culture. This year's celebrations were canceled but you can read more about the planned events here. I do recommend a visit to Dublin during this time period, you'll be spoiled for choices of things to do and see and get to experience some amazing modern and traditional showcases of Irish Heritage. Belfast also has an amazing week-long event and isn't as heavily attended by tourists. Let's talk about ways to explore your Irish ancestry and heritage with a visit to Ireland during the 2021 Festivities.
One way we celebrate cultural holidays is by cooking! Traditional Irish food is different from the version we know in America and I am challenging myself to share my recipes more often! In this time of social distancing and staying home, I think we are all turning to food for comfort. This is a good one to start with: The humble potato! One of my favorite traditional Irish recipes is Colcannon. It's practically a meal in itself but is really well suited for a side dish. It's a favorite at our house and I hope you enjoy this simple but authentic taste of Ireland! Find the easy recipe here and let me know what you think of it. Up Next: Soda Bread!
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