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St Patrick’s Day is a feast day on witch people from all over the globe traditionally proclaim themselves as “Irish for a day” and usually do that with the consumption of Irish alcoholic beverages like St Patrick’s Day Beer and by wearing green-colored clothing. You can now create your own St Patrick’s Day Beer and in this article we will tell you how to start.

Who celebrates St Patrick’s Day?

Saint Patrick’s Day or St. Paddy’s Day is a feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick who was the patron saints of Ireland. St Patrick’s Day is generally celebrated on March 17 and is a feast that is widely celebrated all over the world and not just in Ireland, countries like Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United States also celebrate this day.

What is good St Patrick’s Day Beer?

People usually drink Irish Stout or Guinness as a traditionally St Patrick’s Day Beer. The key ingredient of Irish beer is Roasted Barley like in the classic Irish Stout. This gives the St Patrick’s Day Beer a dry coffee like taste, a very dark color but still a white foam. You also see some green beer in the pups but this is usually not very nice to drink for people who like a good quality beer.

Make your own St Patrick’s Day Beer

Making your own beer is not difficult at all and with Irish beer this is no different. A lot of people received a beer brewing kit for Christmas or as a special Valentine’s day beer gift and are now testing a lot of different recipes. Beer brewing kits are a great way to make your own beer, it’s a nice hobby and the end result is a batch of the best beer you have ever tasted. You can drink it with your family or with your friends. If you are interested to buy beer brewing kits you can look at the website at the end of this article. But if you already own such great equipment you can now start brewing your own St Patrick’s Day Beer and have it ready in time, although Irish stout can be appreciated not just at St Patrick’s day only. It is a great beer all year round.

Ingredients

The best thing you can do is buy a Complete Irish Stout Package, this contains all the ingredients you need to make a tasty beer. The package contains an Irish Stout beer kit, 500 gm Light Dry Malt Extract, Dextrose and Carbonation drops. Follow the enclosed instructions and we are sure you can brew a great St Patrick’s day beer.

Celebrate in style

Do you know a better way to celebrate this feast day, almost the beginning of spring, all the people wearing green, everybody is happy and you are surrounded by your family and friends who are enjoying your own home brewed beer. Is there anything more rewarding than brewing your own St Patrick’s day beer? A Irish stout dark brew displaying coffee, chocolate and licorice aromatics, roasty bitter notes with a dry finish. Mmmm, I can’t wait until the batch in my garage is ready to drink.

www.brew-own-beer.com

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You may know the small New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson as the human spring. In fact, the 5’7″ guard won the NBA slam dunk contest in 2006 against top dunkers like Josh Smith and Andre Igoudala. In his most memorable dunk of the night, he jumped over 1986 champion Spud Webb, and received a perfect 50-point score for the dunk. He also won the contest in 2009 – against Dwight Howard – and this year (2010) to become the first three-time NBA Slam Dunk champion!

Nate’s monster-block against the 7’6″ Center Yao Ming is a YouTube-classic already. So, it’s obvious the guy got some hoops. Actually he has a vertical leap of 43.5 inches!

“First time I touched a backboard, I was 12. I touched the rim when I was 13, and when I was 14, I finally could dunk.” – Nate Robinson

Although Nate could dunk at that young age already, it took him some hard training to reach his current vertical leap. After he left college in 2005 he completed a special

4 days a week, one hour a day workout.

His workout consisted of:

Day 1 (Monday):

o Jump rope. An excellent exercise for increasing foot speed. (400 jumps)

o Sprint-and-drop. Run the width of a basketball court, drop, and do ten push-ups. (10 sprints)

o Seated figure eight. Sit on a stability ball holding a ten-pound medicine ball in front of you. Your elbows should be tight by your sides. Slowly make a figure-eight motion with the ball, moving your lower body as little as possible. (15 figure eights, then 15 in the opposite direction)

o Leg curl (2 sets of 10)

o Incline chest press (2 sets of 10)

o Standing cable fly (2 sets of 10)

o Standing dumbbell curl Curl one arm, then the other, for one rep. (2 sets of 10)

o Single-arm triceps extension From a seated position, with the weight behind your head (not behind your shoulder), extend your arm until it’s pointing straight up. (2 sets of 10 with each arm)

Day 2 (Tuesday):

o Jump rope (400 jumps)

o High knee-raise sprint Sprint the length of a basketball court staying on your toes and lifting your knees as high as possible. (20 sprints)

St. David, who is known in the Welsh language as “Dewi Sant”, is the patron saint of Wales, and is venerated by both the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. The date of his birth is uncertain, with suggestions ranging from as early as 462 to as late as 512, however a relatively large amount of information is known about his life.

The church usually celebrates the feast of St. David on March 1st, the anniversary of his death in 589. The date of the feast does move sometimes, for example in 2006, it was celebrated on February 28th by Roman Catholics, and on March 2nd by members of the Anglican Communion, because March 1st was Ash Wednesday, which is a day of penitence, and feast days are not celebrated on days of penitence.

St. David’s Day is celebrated both within Wales itself, as well as by Welsh expatriate communities around the world, including, of course, in the United States of America. For example a parade is helf in Cardiff, presentation are made to Welsh regiments in the British army, and Welsh people often wear daffodil, leeks, or traditional costumes, and social and community events are popular.

One idea for marking the occasion in schools, as well as a suitable activity for social and community gatherings it to play St. David’s bingo. This game is played exactly like the normal traditional game of bingo, except that instead of using bingo cards printed with numbers between 1 and 75, bingo cards with words or phrases relating to Wales are used instead.

We have been together for 5 months. Things are going very well. I want Valentines day to be special, but money is somewhat of an factor. Also since this is the first Valentines I am not sure how far to go. I think a weekend getaway is too much, but is a romantic dinner too little?

Thanks for your help.

Did you know that men spend far more on Valentines Day gifts than women? And lots of them are hasty, last minute gifts that are expensive, not well thought out, and often not well received. A little planning can go a long ways towards a happy Valentines Day.

Flowers are a very traditional gift because they simply work so well. Most women love flowers, and most men do as well. You can’t buy cheap grocery store flowers at the last minute and expect to make a big impact, unless you also buy a vase, a card, maybe some balloons or a teddy bear to accompany them. It is often better and more convenient to get flowers from a florist. Online florists are convenient and delivery can make a big impression. I remember one set of roses sent as a surprise as I had already given another Valentine’s Day gift in the morning. They certainly pleased my lady friend big time!

What type of flowers should you buy? Long stemmed red roses are traditional and really work spectacularly well. They are usually my first choice. Other colors of roses are great as well, including blue and green. I also love mixed bouquets, especially with Lillys. Choose something you like and that you think she’ll like too.

Food is also traditional, especially chocolate. Flowers delivered at work followed up by chocolates delivered in person are a great idea. I also love fruit, and have had enormous success with a “Fruit of the Month” club which will remind her on a monthly basis how much you care! Many fruit companies and orchards have great ones.

Does she like to eat out? A great meal at wonderful restaurant works wonders on Valentines Day, but be sure to make reservations as it’s a popular night to go out. Maybe there is a special place you’ve been before or perhaps some place you’ve always wanted to go. If it’s not near home, perhaps a night or two away is a great idea? You may be able to find a good hotel using Priceline.com or perhaps one of the other discount brokers.

Travel is a great gift as you’ll end up spending lots of time together. It does require planning, and making it a surprise can be hard to pull off though. A cruise, an escorted trip, or just a few days somewhere together to explore can be very romantic.

im gonna be the best saint patricks day student in the school! but idk i have green duct tape for some reason. what do you think i should make out of green duct tape?
i dont want to waste it so yea. and i dont want to cover ppl’s mouths with it YET. im planning to do that, lol

Between Valentine’s Day and Easter there’s a little day in mid-March when everyone dons green and acknowledges their inner Irish spirit: Saint Patrick’s Day. With Saint Patrick’s Day around the corner, here are some easy preschool crafts to help show a little Irish pride with leprechauns, shamrocks, and rainbows ending in the ever-ubiquitous pots of gold.

Little Leprechauns

How can children not love leprechauns? They serve as a mascot for the most sugary of cereals, they’re comparable in size to the children themselves, and following them leads to fun things like rainbows and pots of shimmering gold. Since the leprechaun serves somewhat of an unofficial mascot of Saint Patrick’s Day, try one of these easy preschool crafts to decorate the classroom.

This first craft is called “Leprechaun Children”. Show the children pictures or images of leprechauns and have each draw or paint one of their own. After the picture has dried, cut out a thumbprint-sized photo of each child’s face to glue onto the leprechaun. This craft can easily be converted into a magnet to hang on the fridge by laminating it with waxed paper.

The leprechaun hat is the central to the overall image of the leprechaun. A simple leprechaun hat can be made from paper plates and paper bowls. Cut a hole from the center of the paper plate just a bit smaller than the rim of the paper bowl. Attach the paper bowl to the hat with glue or staples, and have children paint and decorate their leprechaun hats.

Rock the Shamrock

Another image central to Saint Patrick’s Day is the three-leaf clover or shamrock, since it serves as the official symbol of the republic of Ireland. The shamrock is generally said to bring good luck. While the shamrock doesn’t lend itself quite as well to easy preschool crafts, since it’s a pretty difficult shape to draw, there are a few ways of incorporating it into arts and crafts time.

Tape three soup cans together in a cluster and dip them in green paint for an excellent shamrock stamp. Just add the little tail with a stroke of paint and the children can make shamrocks to decorate with glitter or paint.

For another great shamrock craft, try this one where the children make fake stained glass shamrocks to hang in their windows. Using a stencil, have the children cut a simple shamrock out of contact paper or wax paper. To make the stained glass effect, place a piece of tissue paper on the contact paper. Use glue if using wax paper.

Everyone Loves Rainbows

Finally, the image of the rainbow features prominently in Saint Patrick’s Day iconography. Here’s a fun rainbow craft that turns out looking really cute and colorful. To begin, cut a cloud from white construction paper. Have the children glue strips of crepe paper in a variety of colors to the bottom of the cloud. If desired, they can add a pot of gold cut from construction paper to the bottom of the rainbow. Give these easy preschool crafts a try for a fun St Patrick’s Day celebration.

Even if you’ve played all other previous installments in the NCAA March Madness series, you should know that 2008′s NCAA 09 Basketball is different from the rest. For one thing, the focus right now is on team selection and game tempo above all things. Here are a few tips to help you understand this all-new but much-improved game!

Game Play Tempo

To play and win in NCAA 09 Basketball, you need to know the preferred game style of your chosen team. If you’ve gone for UCLA, you should know that perform better with balanced plays between running and half court games. Memphis, however, is a run-and-gun game, able to perform miracles when the adrenaline’s pumping and the crowd is shouting their name.

Coaching Advice

Thanks to an exclusive deal between EA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, you can now receive significant advice on how to play your game from NCAA Division I coaches. A meter will show whether you’re playing a slow, moderate, or fast game tempo. Pop-up windows will reveal words of wisdom from your coaches, telling you how to best maintain, regain, or control the pace for the game.

Rival Matches

Do you study in Kansas? Then you probably hate Mizzou and everything related to it. Do you study in Duke? Then you probably detest everything that has to do with UNC. These rivalries add color to the league and NCAA 09 Basketball takes that into account by incorporating a new rival-centric matching feature in the game.

When you choose the Rival game mode, you’ll be able to see which of your team’s rival schools are online. Select your opponent, strike up a match, and you can kick the ball rolling!

Dynamic Post Play

New and improved post-play controls have been added to NCAA 09 Basketball to ensure that you’re in the driver’s seat at every part of the game. Your big man also has more offensive and defensive options to choose from. As it is, everything you need to win is virtually handed to you on a silver platter; you just need to know the actual playing strategies used by your chosen team.

An All-New Recruiting System

The acclaimed recruiting system used in NCAA 08 Football has finally been applied for NCAA Basketball as well. Every time you finish a task set by the team alumni or staff, you get to upgrade player performance and unlock new facilities. Scouting reports will also help you determine the best recruits for your team.

As you can see, NCAA 09 Basketball is different in a lot of things with its predecessors but the changes are all for the better, aren’t they?

Playing NCAA Basketball 09 will be more fun if you have downloaded the most accurate NCAA Basketball 09 rosters. Learn what your options are.

I mean, you’ve seen parades and people dresing up as leprechauns on that day right? Wait a minute…was that St. Patrick guy a leprechaun?

Saint Patrick’s day is a religious feast festival of Catholic christians having its roots in Ireland with the celebrations gaining significance in other countries, particularly America and Britain. Just like St. Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day (i.e, 17th March) commemorates the demise of the revered patronised Irish saint St. Patrick. So, what is the legend behind St. Patrick which led to the association of a festival in his name and how is the day celebrated ? The story goes like this…

Originally born (in later half of fourth century) to Roman parents in Scotland or Roman England (there are conflicting opinions regarding the place of birth), he was previously known by the name Maewyn Succat. He was given a Romanicized name Patricius leading to him being known as Patrick.

Patrick was originally a pagan ( a non-believer of Christianity ). During his childhood, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave to the Celtic Druids who then ruled Ireland. It was during that stage of life that his attitude and beliefs towards God started changing. After six years, he escaped from slavery when he dreamt of God giving him instructions for the same. He was taught priesthood in France. When he became a bishop, he again dreamt of Irish people calling him and requiring his services.

So, he returned to Ireland with firm belief of converting pagans to Christians. Despite being arrested by the Celtic Druids several times, he always managed to escape and was not deterred. He actively baptized and preached Christianity. He even used diplomacy like gifting people in kinglets and gifting lawgivers. For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion.

How is the Patrick’s day celebrated ?

As a part of the celebration, Many Irish people wear a bunch of shamrock on their lapels or caps on St. Patrick’s Day, while children wear tricolored (green, white and orange) badges. Girls traditionally wore green ribbons in their hair (many still do).

A three-leafed Shamrock clover was used by St. Patrick to represent the trinity, like father, son and holy spirit; also shamrock was considered lucky by Irish people. The shamrock was used by the Irish as a mark of nationalism when the English invaded the Celtics. Thus a shamrock is given lot of reverence in Ireland. Leprechuans or Irish fairy people are also associated with St. Patrick’s festival. In Irish mythology, a leprechaun is a type of elf said to inhabit the island of
Ireland.

In recent times, the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin have been extended to a week-long event called St. Patrick’s Festival, encompassing a spectacular fireworks display (Skyfest), open-air music, street theater and the traditional parade. Over one million people attended the celebrations in 2004.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and those of Irish descent. A major parade takes place in Dublin and in most other Irish towns and villages. The three largest parades of recent years have been held in Dublin, New York and Birmingham England. Parades also take place in other centers, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout the Americas.

In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day would not be St. Patrick’s Day unless the Chicago River is dyed green. Also, St. Paddy’s Day has little religious or historical significance. Established in Boston in 1737, it is essentially a time to put on a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” button, and parade drunken through the streets singing a mangled version of “Danny Boy” in celebration of one’s real or imagined Irish ancestry.

Thus in a nutshell, it can be seen that the legends revolving around St Patrick have been inseparably combined with the facts. The day invariably evokes the “I am Irish” sentiments
alongwith patronizing St. Patrick for his services towards Ireland. And together they have helped us know much about the Saint and the spirit behind celebration of the day.

I want to wish a hearty 4th of July to all my e-zine subscribers in the states. It’s the time of the year to be patriotic and to reflect on the roots of our republic. Blood was spilled to gain our independence and I’m sure you’d agree there has never been, and will never be, another country quite as unique as America. God Bless America.

While some are firing up the grill, others are displaying Old Glory, and still others playing The Star-Spangled Banner–let’s not forget our military heroes overseas in less than ideal circumstances. They are the reason why we can watch the 4th of July Parade in peace and safety. And they are why we don’t live in fear of more tyranny from those who want to rip apart at the heart of American fiber: FREEDOM!

Freedom is the substance every person wants, but governments tend to hand out in small measures–if at all. Freedom is the luxury of sharing ideas for the improvement of humankind and helping those in need. Freedom permits you to go after your dreams and to live responsibly without having to look over your shoulder. And if taken for granted and not protected–freedom becomes elusive, invisible and possibly out of reach.

Our Founding Fathers brilliantly penned together a formula that if followed, will ensure the longevity and prosperity of our republic. Let’s all join together around the flag: First to pay respect for what it represents–and Second to honor those who bravely serve, now and in the past, to keep Old Glory flying high.

Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy’s Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com.

Chances are, you haven’t heard of Peppercorn Day. A holiday in Bermuda, Peppercorn Day may be the oddest holiday in the Caribbean. Its history dates to 1797 when a group of Freemasons began renting the Old State House in St. George, for the sum of one peppercorn. In 1816, the holiday tradition began. Every year on the Wednesday closest to April 23, amidst pomp and circumstance, a horse-drawn carriage brings the governor to collect the peppercorn.

While Peppercorn Day is exclusive to Bermuda, many Caribbean islands share similar holidays. For instance, while the specifics differ, many islands celebrate their heritage with national holidays. In Dominica, late October ushers in Creole Week. Part of Creole Week is Heritage Day, held in a different village every year and paying homage to that village’s unique aspects and important citizens. Island-wide, the biggest celebration of the week is Creole Day. Everyone dresses up in traditional Creole fashion and enjoys Creole style parades, music, and food.

Similarly, Jamaica’s Maroon Day (January 6) pays tribute to the Maroons, freed slaves who fled to the South coast of Jamaica to start their lives anew. Their ancestors still live there and host the biggest celebration of the holiday, the Accompong Maroon Festival. Drawing visitors from all over the globe, this huge affair had an attendance of 16,000 people in 2005. The feast includes traditional dancing, singing, and ceremonies.

Then there’s Indian Arrival Day (May 30) in Trinidad and Tobago. Although it was only made official in the 1990s, the island’s sizable Indian population has celebrated the holiday for many years. It commemorates the arrival of indentured servants from India.

Many Caribbean countries celebrate their independence from conquering nations, such as Spain, the Netherlands, or France. Holidays honoring national heroes who fought for independence are common, like Errol Barrow Day in Barbados. But the islands also retain holidays from the conquerors, like Bastille Day, Queen’s Day, and the Prince of Wales’ Birthday. Emancipation and slavery abolition holidays are also national holidays on many islands.

Perhaps the largest number of holidays in the Caribbean are of religious origin. Days venerating patron saints can be found throughout the islands, but nowhere to the extent of Puerto Rico. Even Puerto Rico’s cities have their own patron saints with attendant holidays. However, the most important is St. John’s Day, celebrating the island’s patron saint and namesake of its capital city, San Juan. Beach parties end with people walking backward into the ocean and falling into the water to honor the tradition of baptism by St. John.

Christmas in the Caribbean may be more enthusiastic than anywhere else in the world. The twelve days of Christmas are still celebrated on many islands, culminating in Epiphany on January 6. On Guadeloupe, Epiphany marks the beginning of Carnival season, which continues until Lent. The carnival reaches its peak on Shrove Tuesday, when businesses close for five days so all can participate in the parades.

Even the weather has a place on the holiday calendar. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the fourth Monday in July is Hurricane Supplication Day. Marking the beginning of their hurricane season, it’s a low-key day for people to go to church to pray that hurricanes pass them by, or at least spare lives and buildings. If all goes well, Hurricane Thanksgiving Day follows on the third Monday of October.

Holiday celebrations contribute greatly to the vibrant culture in the Caribbean. If you’re planning a trip there, consider going when you can take part in one. There’s no better way to truly experience island culture.

Josh Smith from the Atlanta Hawks is a hell of a dunker. In fact, the 6′ 9” small forward may now have the highest vertical in the NBA (41-inch). The 2005 Slam Dunk Champion had more dunks (101) last season (2006-2007) than Vince Carter (86), Shaquille O’Neil (83), Kobe Bryant (59) or Dwyane Wade (59)!

“I first learned how to dunk at age 13, going from seventh grade to eighth. I was going in for a layup and I kept rising, so I figured let’s keep going here, and I dunked it.” – Josh Smith

The 22 year old always had decent jumping ability, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t work on it at all. Far from it! Just about every morning of the NBA off-season Smith heads down to the gym. There, he spends a lot of time on two things: lifting and plyometrics. Josh Smith’ jumping program has two essential elements, both of which focus on:

strength and quickness

The first part of the workout consists of Olympic-style weightlifting moves like the push press and hang clean, which combine traditional strengthening exercises with plyometric-like moves.

The second part is all about the plyometrics themselves. Plyometrics work the lengthening contraction of a muscle and then follow it quickly with a concentric contraction, which has particular benefits for basketball players looking to jump higher and more quickly.

If your legs are already strong enough (that means you have been training your legs for some time), you can add the following elements to your workout twice a week for the power and quickness you need to rise in the air for a dunk. If not, you first have to establish a basic leg strength to avoid injuries.

Push Press:

Starting Position: barbell across the top of your back. Bend quickly at the knees and hips and then explode upward and push the barbell up. Take the barbell back to your shoulders and repeat the exercise for a maximum of 5 reps. Start with light weights and add weight later. Then do 5 sets of one or two reps.

Hang Clean:

Starting Position: bar above your knees, your torso at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Now pull the bar up along your body. Raise onto your toes and pull your body forward. Start with light weights and do 2 to 5 sets of five reps. You can add weight later and work to one rep per set.

For more exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you “don’t” do is more important then what you “do” do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend: