The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has spread throughout the
world. Originating in Ireland, March 17 was spent at church and with
family, celebrating the teachings of Christianity. When the Irish emigrated
to the United States and Canada, the festivities evolved to the wearing of
the green, watching parades and eating corned beef and cabbage. In recent
years, countries as far away as Japan and Russia have started celebrating
St. Patrick’s Day, proving you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy their
holiday.
Whether you are Irish or not, take time to explore these fun activities
with your family. With a dozen ideas to choose from, you can extend your
celebration right through the month of March.
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Grow a leprechaun. Decorate a terra cotta pot with a leprechaun
face. Fill the pot with soil and add shamrock seeds (found online
at Amazon.com). Place the pot in a sunny place and watch the “hair”
of your leprechaun grow. -
Watch Irish movies together. Try “The Secret of Roan Inish,” “The
Magical Legend of the Leprechauns” or “The Luck of the Irish.” -
Live a greener life. Use this “green” month to teach your children
how their efforts can help the environment. Conserve water by
taking shorter showers, save energy by shutting off electronics
when not in use and walk instead of drive when possible. -
Make Irish soda bread. Combine 4 cups of flour, 4 tablespoons of
white sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon baking powder,
½ teaspoon of salt and ½ cup of softened margarine in a
bowl. Add 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 egg and 1 cup of raisins
(optional) and mix well. Knead dough slightly and form into a
round. Place on baking sheet. Cut “X” in bread top and brush with 1
egg white. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees F. -
Have the leprechaun visit every night while you sleep. Similar to
the “elf on the shelf,” the leprechaun comes by every night to do
mischievous things like empty the tissue box or hide the remote. -
Hunt for four-leaf clovers. If the weather doesn’t allow, get
crafty and create your own by cutting a green pepper in the middle,
paint the edges and make clover stamps. -
Research your family tree even if you don’t have Irish roots. Start
with a free trial on Ancestry.com and see how far back you can
trace your family’s history. You may be surprised to find a few
leprechauns hanging out in your family tree. -
Pull out the cards, board games or video games and challenge your
family to see who has the luck of the Irish. -
Make rainbow cupcakes. Prepare a box of white cake mix as directed.
Place equal amounts of the batter in six separate bowls. Add food
coloring to each bowl to make yellow, orange, red, green, blue and
purple batter. Spoon equal amounts of the colored batter into a
prepared muffin tin. Do not mix. Bake as directed. Decorate with
green icing and yellow mini chocolate candies to represent the gold
at the end of the rainbow. -
Incorporate a green vegetable into your dinner plan each night. Try
broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, spinach, asparagus, cucumbers and
green beans. Tell your kids that leprechauns love everything green
and that you made some of their favorite meals. It’s a great way to
get them to try new veggies. For really picky eaters, offer a
chocolate gold coin as a reward for trying. -
Make your own green flowers. Buy a bouquet of white carnations.
Fill a vase with water and several drops of green food coloring.
Make a fresh cut in the bottom of the flower stems before placing
them in the vase. Watch as the green food coloring slowly makes it
way up the stems and into the white flowers turning the petals
green. -
Share your blessings with someone else. Although the December
holidays are over, the need for volunteers and charitable gifts is
still vital. Use your family’s time and talents to give back to the
community.
