Celebrating the Feast of  St. Patrick

When you think of Irish celebrations, perhaps Irish soda bread isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but it is one of the most authentic Irish foods that you'll see on American tables when they celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. (Unless you’re also serving Guinness and in that case, you might try this Guinness Milkshake!) When I was a boy in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, we would start the day by going to church to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick. It was a Holy Day, so we had to get dressed up and go to mass. All I could think about was what we were going to have to eat afterward.

Irish Traditions for St. Patrick’s Day

March 17th, St. Patrick's Day - it's the day when everybody is Irish! (Or George Stephanopoulous says we all “pretend" to be Irish) People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day. You'll see communities rally together with parades, parties and in some locations, pea planting. Many areas participate in the "greening" of their surroundings, like the Chicago River pictured above. It's all in honor of the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick.

Preserving Irish Heritage: Mucros Weavers 

Mucros Weavers was formed out of a conscious movement to develop and promote traditional Irish crafts, like weaving. Located at the Muckross House on the grounds of Killarney National Park, Mucros Weavers draws upon the magnificent scenery to inspire its designs, which are created under the eye of Master Weaver, John Cahill. 

Will You Marry Me? The Irish Tradition of Bachelor’s Day

 It’s that year! Yes, that crazy year where we’ve got twenty-nine days in February instead of twenty-eight. But it’s also that year where we may see a few more marriage proposals, because single ladies no longer need to wait for their slow-to-propose men to get down on one knee. The Leap Year proposal is an Irish tradition, referred to as Bachelor’s Day, where women were encouraged to initiate dances and propose marriage on February 29th.