Today is St. Patrick’s Day! It commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and the person responsible for it, St. Patrick.
Growing up, my family didn’t really do anything special on St. Patrick’s Day. I can’t remember any special meals being cooked, we ate what we always ate: beans & rice! I do recall being pinched by my classmates at school if I forgot to wear green though!
Now that I’m the Mom, we do things a little bit differently. I want my children to look back on their childhood and remember family celebrations and traditions. Life is precious and I am thankful for every chance I get to celebrate it! Children grow up so quickly; it’s my job as a parent to make sure they enjoy their childhood.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. One of the ways my family celebrates, is by attending the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco, CA. The parade is free. Everyone loves a parade and my family is no different. The kids love seeing all the decorated floats and the marching bands. They get so excited, and always end up falling asleep on the drive home. Do your kids do that?
Another way we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is by eating delicious and traditional Irish meals. I like to make Irish Beef Stew, it’s easy to cook, and the leftovers are perfect for the next day. I also prepare Irish Soda Bread, another simple recipe that the whole family enjoys. It has raisins in it, and is delicious with some butter spread on top!
My family likes dessert after dinner, so I make cupcakes. While the cupcakes are baking, we draw four-leaf clovers on paper, and then color them with crayons and markers. My little one helps me decorate the cupcakes, once they are out of the oven. We like to put green frosting on them. We also like to go outside and see if we can find any clovers to decorate them with. Clovers grow in our yard, so we are never disappointed!
How will your family celebrate?
