It's All About the Green--Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Good afternoon! Hope your weekend was relaxing. Yesterday, my husband and I attended the Manischewitz Experience at Chelsea Market, where we had a chance to try new products. I sampled a s'more with chocolate-covered matzoh, a cupcake created from Passover marble cake mix, a piece of "matzoh-pizza," and a potato pancake. Manischewitz was showcasing their latest products, and they've come a long way since the days of chocolate marshmallows and plain matzoh.

Tomorrow, the Irish (and those who are Irish in spirit) from around the world will don their green and celebrate St. Patrick's Day  This day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. You many not know that St. Patrick was not Irish but was actually born in England. According to legend, St. Patrick was about 16 when he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland as a slave. He eventually escaped, returned to his family, became a cleric, and returned to western Ireland. By the end of the seventh century, he was declared the patron saint of Ireland. 

On this holiday, it's customary to wear shamrocks, along with green clothing. Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock to explain Christianity to the pagan Irish. Another major part of the Irish legend is the leprechaun. The leprechaun is a tiny, mischievous being who sometimes plays tricks on humans, and plays traditional Irish musical instruments such as the tin whistle and fiddle. They say that there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but one has to catch the leprechaun first.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day wouldn't be complete without the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage. This is not an Irish tradition but one that began in America, where the Irish settlers could only afford to eat meat once a week. Since beef was the least expensive, that became their meal of choice. 

Many towns and major cities (such as Boston, Philly, and Chicago), already had their St. Patrick's Day celebrations over weekend. The granddaddy of all celebrations will take place tomorrow along Fifth Ave. in NYC. The New York St. Patrick's Day parade is one of the oldest in the U.S., and it will be streamed live on local stations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year's grand marshal will be Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The MTA will be adding extra trains to help those traveling to and from the parade, but please read carefully regarding the purchasing of train tickets and MetroCards. St. Patrick's Day is one of the most popular holidays for drinking, and just about every bar will have some sort of celebration. The MTA stresses that alcoholic beverages will be strictly prohibited through 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. Check your local newspaper for celebrations happening in your area. Have a great time, but please use good judgment when drinking. 

New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade

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Women's History Month Fun Fact of the Day: In 1830, Mississippi was the first state to grant married women the right to hold property in their own names, independent of their husbands. . . . We'd would also like to wish Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg a very happy 82nd birthday! 

I did a lot of networking with the WOBC over the weekend and increased traffic the shop's Facebook page. I can't wait until my first Twitter Tuesday. 

Have a PRINTASTIC day!

Kathy