This Blog by Cher’ley Grogg
Don’t pinch me, I’m not Irish. St. Patrick’s Day is just another day to celebrate, and I never miss the opportunity to have a celebration or a feast. For Christians, St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
Drinking green beer, eating cabbage and corned beef, and looking for shamrocks are all fun things to do. But, my favorite St. Patrick’s Day activity when I was a child (and maybe now too) was pinching the people who didn’t wear green. I looked high and low for anyone who forgot to wear green, and of course found a few. Basically, the wearing of green was to make a person invisible to leprechauns who would run up and pinch anyone who was not wearing green, so, I being a little imp, imitated the leprechauns. The cabbage and corned beef actually started out as cabbage and bacon, but bacon was so expensive in the United States, they changed it to corned beef. The drinking of the green beer, well…what can be said about that?
Do I feel lucky?
In the springtime, my mother and would sit for hours in a clover patch searching for a four leaf clover, she could spot them so quickly that I would be in awe. Eventually we would tire of searching for the Shamrocks, and if we were lucky enough to find a four-leaf clover , we’d take our treasure inside and press it in a big book for good luck. Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.
Some Fun St. Patrick’s Day facts:
- My brother-in-law was born on St. Patrick’s Day, which is March 17, and that is the same day that St. Patrick died in 461 A.D.
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston in 1737
- Many young people dye their hair green on this day
- Many bars in the United States served green beer to celebrate St Patty’s Day
- 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry that is almost 9 times the population of Ireland which is 4.1 million people
- If You come to visit me in West Virginia perhaps we will go see the town Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia
Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes
Clovers and Blue moons
Pots of gold and rainbows,
And the red balloon
That’s the luck of me lucky charms!
Their magically delicious!
Writing instructors say you should never use luck to solve your mysteries, but should a writer use luck in his stories?
How has luck affected your life? How do you celebrate St. Patrick ’s Day? And for an extra bit of luck– name the US River that is dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day.
“The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.
And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell
Keira's Place 
Great post Cherley! When I was in 7th grade I used food coloring to dye my hair green – had quite a time getting it all out! Since my family has Irish roots we always had corned beef and cabbage. Lots of fun facts you shared!
Thanks Linda, glad you enjoyed the post. You sure are up either late or early. Funny with the food coloring, I wonder how many other kids did that. Cher’ley
Actually I’m both up late and early, but remember I’m in another country and right now we’re three hours behind Eastern Standard Time. Just remembered my girlfriend has a green glitter wig from Carnaval. Maybe I’ll ask her to borrow it!
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Loved the column, Cherley. You got me to thinkin’, though, youth today seem to have greem hair year around. I was never very good at finding four-leafers. I’ve drank my share of green beer, but always found the color a bit disconcerting … hey, but it tasted the same so down the throat it went. Back when I was a kid, I should have tried to talk mom into buying some St. Patty Day cookie-cutters (they have them, right?) and icing the cookies with green goop and green sprinkles.
Lol Mike, green cookies seem more appealing than green beer. Usually they have green snowball snack cakes. I’m sure there are Shamrock cookie cutters. Cher’ley
Cherley, I’ll bet you were a little imp. 🙂 Don’t pinch me either, there’s no Irish in me!
I had four brothers and I had to outdo them all. Lol And I could run pretty fast.
I have one dear Irish friend but never really got into things Irish. This is such an eye-opener for me. Thanks, Cher’ley!
I’m glad Maria, it was fun to research and to remember. Cher’ley
I always hid golden (really chocolate covered in gold foil) coins for the kids for St. Patrick’s Day.
That’s a fun custom. I know they loved it and it gives them a bit of Irish history. Cher’ley
What a fun post! Thanks!
Thanks Barb, it was fun to write. Cher’ley
Fun. As a child St. Patrick’s day was fun. I have a friend who goes all out and decorates as if it were Dec 25. The Chicago river I think is dyed green
Doris, I love all the holidays. When my kids were young I decorated for each one of them. Now I set out a vase of Green Shamrocks and a few sprinkles of green. My husband did buy me a green singing frog that I display. Cher’ley
You are right about the Chicago. But a few friends on my Facebook page bought to my attention a couple of others too. Cher’ley
You might not know this, but St. Patrick had a dark side.
While preaching the word to the Irish peoples, Patrick found one clan more wild and sinful than the others. They mocked Patrick and laughed at him, while praising their pagan gods.
Patrick became enraged and set a curse upon the clan – that for their wildness and beast like nature, the members of the clan would be turned into werewolves.
After 7 years, they would return to being human. But at the end of 7 more years, they would find themselves werewolves again.
The legend says that continue that way, turning from beast to man and back every 7 years – Their bloodline cursed until the judgment day.
I did not know this. You should do a blog on some of the fun and spooky legends you know about. I love these little details. This would be a great addition to one of my vampire books. LOL Cher’ley
Being Scottish I personally don’t do anything about St. Patrick’s Day, Cher’ley, but I used to drink a guiness or two! I’ve never had green beer but it does sound interesting! I’d love to know what the origin is about the cabbage and corned beef (bacon)? Do you know?
It’s like being in the US, I don’t celebrate Canadian or Mexican Holidays, bet because of all the Irish immigrants we do celebrate St. Patrick;s Day. I’m Scottish decent too, so I’m not Irish. Several websites talk of cabbage and corned beef being a favorite food of the Irish, along with potatoes. I like all of those too. Cher’ley
Celebratin’ St. Patty’s Day is always fun. Back when I was a tech writer, I was stayin’ at a hotel where there was a big, drunkin’ celebration and the pool’s water was turned green and patio furniture tossed in. The hotel staff was not happy. But revelers will be revelers.
Ireland and Scotland are on my “bucket list” — we’re off to a St. Patty’s Day dinner in an hour, and tomorrow I’ll be a’makin’ the fixin’s!!
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I’ve always loved St. Patty’s day. With my red hair and my name, everyone thought I was Irish. Not a drop, but still love the Wearing of the Green.
[…] Pinch Me, I’m Irish by Cher’ley […]