Erin Go Bragh! Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patricks Day! Here are some fun St Patricks Day quotes, facts, and recipes to celebrate the day! St. Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland. And while he was not born Irish, he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage, mostly through his service across Ireland in the 5th century. As we all join in the celebration, whether attending a pub or a parade, from Monaghan to Monserrat, Limerick to London and Belfast to Boston, here are some fun St Patricks Day quotes, facts, and recipes!
ST. PATRICK’S DAY QUOTES
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. -Alex Levin
Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You don’t want to press your luck. ~ Daryl Stout
St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time – a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic. ~Adrienne Cook
Saint Patrick was a gentleman, who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland, here’s a drink to his health!
But not too many drinks, lest we lose ourselves and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick, and see them snakes again!
An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth.
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.
~Irish Blessing
St. Patrick, one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish. ~ Charles M. Madigan
What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover? A rash of good luck. ~Author Unknown
May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
~Irish Blessing
Anyone acquainted with Ireland knows that the morning of St. Patrick’s Day consists of the night of the seventeenth of March flavored strongly with the morning of the eighteenth. ~Author Unknown
A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.
It is better to spend money like there’s no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there’s no money!
Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one
A pretty girl and an honest one
A cold beer – and another one!
St Patrick’s Day Facts
Celebrated on March 17, the saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.
- At the annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade, participants march up 5th Avenue from 44th Street to 86th Street. Each year, between 150,000 and 250,000 marchers take part in the parade, which does not allow automobiles or floats.
- More than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.
- The practice of dyeing the river green started in Chicago in 1962, when city officials decided to dye a portion of the Chicago River green.
- There are seven places in the United States named after the shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland including Mount Gay-Shamrock, WV; Shamrock, TX; Shamrock Lakes, IN; and Shamrock, OK.
- Sixteen U.S. places share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. With 44,541 residents, Dublin, CA, is the largest of the nice, followed by Dublin, OH, with 39,310.
- Why is Saint Patrick nearly always shown with a shamrock? According to legend, when he tried to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to some Irish pagans, they could not understand the conflicting messages that there is but one God, but that He is a Trinity at the same time. So Patrick plucked a shamrock and used this to exemplify the Holy Trinity: “It is made up of three identical yet separate pieces – and those three pieces do not exist in isolation but are one.” The Irish got the message and the shamrock became a national symbol.
“Do you not see how in this wildflower three leaves are united on one stalk, and will you then believe that there are indeed three persons and yet one God?“
- The Druids believed the shamrock had the power to avert evil spirits. Some people still believe the shamrock has mystical, even prophetic, powers.
- It is said that the leaves of shamrocks turn upright whenever a storm is coming.
- According to Lady Wilde, the shamrock “enlightens the brain and makes one see and know the truth.”
- The ancient Irish Celts also revered the shamrock because it has three leaves, and they considered “3” to be a sacred number. The ancient Celtic Druids believed many numbers held mystical powers.
St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. In 2009, roughly 26.1 billion pounds of beef and 2.3 billion pounds of cabbage were produced in the U.S. But it’s actually an Irish-American dish. Why? On St. Patrick’s Days past, the best meal many Irish Americans could afford was beef and cabbage, and thus it became a staple for the holiday.
5 pounds corned brisket of beef
6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices
3 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut in wedges
Melted butter (about 4 tablespoons)
Place the corned beef in water to cover with the peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these often come packaged with the corned beef). Cover the pot or kettle, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the last 15 minutes, add the cabbage. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the melted butter. Serve with boiled parsley potatoes, cooked separately. (The stock can be saved to add to a pot roast or stew instead of other liquid.)
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.
Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY DRINKS
Traditional Irish Whiskey co*cktail: The Brotherhood
1.5 oz Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey
.75 oz Grand Marnier
.75 oz Bénédictine
.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
Lemon peel for garnish
Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the top and drop into the drink.
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