St. Patrick's Day

Who can talk about Ireland without mentioning something about St. Patrcick's Day.

Just a little bit of history...

Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland, which is most likely a metaphor for driving out paganism (pagans were often associated with snakes or serpent worship)

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. The holiday is taken very seriously in Ireland and in some cities in the United States with a large amount of Irish Americans. I am not really sure why it is celebrated on March 17, but there is a theory that it is the date of St. Patrick's death.

To learn more about this Irish holiday, visit the St. Patrick's Day Website .

So you might be wondering...What about the food?

One typical dish that you might find being served around St. Patrick's Day is Corned Beef and Cabbage. This Irish dish can be, and is often, served with potatoes. Originally "Corned Beef and Cabbage" was thought to be a dish served for Easter Sunday dinner in rural Ireland. The beef, because there was no refrigeration at that time was salted or brined during the winter to preserve it; it was then eaten after the long, meatless Lenten fast. Truthfully, in Ireland, it was actually not eaten very often because the meat that we associate with the the dish was much too expensive for farmers to afford. In America, we eat corned beef on St. Patrick's Day and consider it an example of a traditional Irish meal, but it really only started becoming associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the 20th century. (Just for clarification-cabbage has always been a traditional Irish food).

Despite what some might say about the Irish authenticity of Corned Beef and Cabbage, no one can dispute the origins of Irish Soda Bread. This dessert is almost always served on St. Patrick's Day. According to Family Fun , one hundred fifty years ago it was common to make bread using baking soda rather than yeast in parts of rural Ireland. That's how Irish soda bread got its name. Additionally, sour milk was used in the making of soda bread in Ireland and in the 1930s it could be purchased "fresh" from the local creamery since fresh milk was usually consumed by the household before it could go sour. (Today buttermilk is used instead of sour milk since it is more easily found).

Click here to find some good recipes for your St. Patrick's Day fiest.