Travel to Ireland and around the world with us as we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day!

Saint Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is celebrated on March 17th,which is the day Saint Patrick died in 461, and in the early 17th century became the official Christian feast day of Saint Patrick. It is one of the most celebrated days around the world. Saint Patrick was actually born in Roman Britain. He went to Ireland in 432 to convert Irish to Christianity and became a bishop and patron saint of Ireland.
There are many legends about Saint Patrick. One was he drove the “snakes” (druids – ancient Irish legends as magicians and wizards) out of Ireland. Another was he used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans (Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost). The shamrock is the National flower of Ireland.

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Besides Ireland and America, here are a few other countries and cities who celebrate – Russia, Malta, Bosnia & Herzegovina celebrate a 3-day festival, Japan, Korea started an Irish Association in 1976 in Seoul, Malaysia founded a Saint Patrick Society of Selangor in 1925, Montreal has one of the largest parades in North America, and even in the International Space Center where Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield took photographs of Ireland from earth orbit on Saint Patrick’s Day in 2013 and posted them online along with pictures of himself wearing green and signing “Danny Boy.”
For you ‘foodies’ traditional foods on Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland are scones; Irish soda bread; beef or lamb roast dinner including potatoes, peas, carrots, and gravy; apple tarts; hangover cure of Irish potato chip sandwich and ‘flat 7Up’ which is 7Up and a splash of hot water. Corned beef and cabbage is actually an American-Irish dish. When Irish immigrants came to America they opted for the less expensive corned beef and cabbage than beef, pork, and potatoes. In America you would find glitter shamrocks, leprechauns, and green beer. Ireland would not ‘pollute’ their beer with green dye. Try “drowning the shamrock” or “wetting the shamrock” where at the end of the celebration put a shamrock into the bottom of your cup and fill it with your adult beverage of choice, make a toast to Saint Patrick then drink up and either eat the shamrock or toss it over your shoulder for good luck.

The Irish are well known for their Irish blessings. Here is one we would like to share with you.
“Here’s wishing you the top o’ life without a single tumble.
Here’s wishing you the smiles o’ life and not a single grumble.
Here’s wishing you the best o’ life and not a claw about it.
Here’s wishing you the joy in life and not a day without it.” Irish Blessing
If you would like some new Saint Patrick’s Day recipes, check out The Spice & Tea Exchange website. You will find Baked Potato Dip, Chocolate Beer Cake, and Marrakesh Mint Mojito along with a few others. They also have many different teas. Take one of our St. Armands tours and stop by their store with us.
Speaking of tea, here is an Irish Proverb. “Life is like a cup of tea, it’s all in how you make it.” Irish Proverb.
Sources: Wikipedia.org; Smithsonian.com; Britannica.com