Easy & Free

I discovered the quaint Austrian custom of St. Nicholas Day while walking through the streets of Salzburg, Austria years ago. I saw St. Nicholas dressed in flowing white robes carrying a staff and wearing a Bishop’s hat. He had a soft white beard and was followed around by a scary looking creature called Krampus or devil who carried a wooden stick.

Each year on December fifth the eve of St. Nicholas Day, children in Austria put their shoes on the windowsill or outside their bedroom doors. They hope to find their shoes filled with items such as oranges, apples, nuts, sweets, and small toys when they wake the next morning. That is if they have been good.

St. Nicholas walks through the streets and sometimes stops to visit the children in their homes or those busy shopping in the city. He comes with a devil figure called the Krampus. The Krampus is often in chains and is often dressed in fur with a scary mask and a long red tongue. He carries a wooden stick or a switch to encourage misbehaving children to change their ways. Of course, St. Nicholas won’t allow the Krampus to harm anyone and once the children promise to be good St. Nicholas rewards them with a treat.

It is a special custom that you could add to your Christmas celebration. On December 5th have your children put one of their shoes under the Christmas tree or by the front door. You could even call it the St. Nicholas elf (that will pay your family a visit) if you want to change this custom just a bit and explain that he will check and see if they are being good. Fill their shoes with a treat or a variety of treats (which could include European chocolates), an ornament, or a small toy. Be creative and it doesn’t have to be anything really expensive or big. Just something simple and fun to invite the Christmas spirit.

Before you celebrate or add this custom to your holiday, share a little about the country of Austria and explain this custom with your family. You could find a book about Austria or look on line for many resources that would show pictures of this beautiful country. You could also have your family gather around the piano or guitar and sing “Silent Night”. The well known Christmas song composed by two Austrians and tell them the story behind the writing of this song as well.

The idea is to start a new tradition in your family while teaching them about another country and one of their customs in a subtle and simple fun way. Learning about another country and practicing one of its customs can enrich your family’s life and open your children’s minds to discovering things about other people and places this holiday season! Give it a try and maybe you will want to add other customs from a variety of countries!

St. Patricks’s Day (often known informally as “St. Paddy’s Day”), which falls on March 17th, is a Roman Catholic feast day (the feast may in fact be be moved if March 17th falls within Holy Week), commemorating the Saint’s life, and also a day of celebration of Irish culture, history and tradition. In both the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, as well as in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the day is set aside as an official public holiday. In other countries with large numbers of people of Irish descent, including the rest of the UK and Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America, although it is not a public holiday, the day is nevertheless marked and very much enjoyed.

St. Patrick’s Day is usually celebrated by parades, wearing green (or sometimes orange) clothing, eating Irish foods, consuming Irish drinks (including of course Guinness), and of course family and community social gatherings. Although principally celebrated by expatriate Irish and people of Irish descent, the festivities are open to people of other backgrounds, and it is from this that we get the phrase, “Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”

One idea for marking the occasion, ideal for social and community gatherings, but also suitable for classrooms and schools, is to play St. Patrick’s Bingo. This game is played exactly like the standard game of bingo, except that the bingo cards, instead of being printed with numbers, are printed with words or phrases chosen on an Irish or St. Patrick’s Day theme.

They are more than just glossy and decorative pieces of paper — they are a window to the very soul of those that have been bruised by playful Cupid’s arrows! Within their depths lie a myriad quivering emotions and trembling hopes. Yes, we are talking about the quintessential Valentine’s Day card without which this celebration of love and romance just is not complete.

Next to Christmas, Valentine’s Day is the biggest revenue grosser for manufacturers when it comes to cards. Take a hold of this. Each year, love-struck Britons spend around 503m UK pounds (835m US dollars) on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for Valentine’s Day. World statistics reveal that no less than a billion cards are sent every year on Valentine’s Day, placing it just behind Christmas as the second most significant card-giving occasion. That’s a lot of love in the air!

But, do you know just how the custom of giving Valentine’s cards came into being?

As with the festival itself, even this tradition is shrouded in mystique. According to one belief, the tradition began with Saint Valentine, the patron saint himself, when he was imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Claudius in the 3rd century A.D. Saint Valentine used to pass notes to the jailor’s daughter and one of them was signed as ‘Your Valentine’. Yet another story suggests that children used to pass notes to Saint Valentine when he was imprisoned and continued to do so even after his execution.

In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer introduced the notion of love and romance in what had been till then a rather sombre Christian feast day. Once the floodgates had been opened, there was no stopping! By the 18th century, exchanging gifts and hand-made romantic cards to mark Valentine’s Day had become very popular in England. Traditional symbols of lace, hearts, doves, red roses and Cupids started appearing on the cards being exchanged between young lovers.

In 1797, a British publisher came out with a journal titled, “The Young Man’s Valentine Writer”, filled with hundreds of ready-made sentimental verses for all those who wanted that ‘perfect’ verse to capture the heart and attention of their beloved!

Till, the late 19th century, cards were being made mostly in England.

The first American Valentine’s Day Cards

Love is infectious! The custom of giving cards on Valentine’s Day soon spread to America as well. In the 1850s, young Esther A. Howland, an American lady of Worcester, Massachusetts, hit upon the idea of mass-producing traditional Valentine’s Day cards. Along with her brother and three friends, she started shipping beautiful hand-made Valentine’s Day cards all across the country.

These readymade satin or lace-embellished cards, with romantic messages printed on them, were a huge and instant success. People flocked to buy them — they were creative and attractively designed, and did a better job than they ever could! Buying a card for the one you loved was now the most natural (and mandatory) thing to do on Valentine’s Day.

Earliest Valentine’s Day Card

Probably because Saint Valentine himself had signed his note to the jailor’s daughter as ‘Your valentine’, the love tokens being exchanged by people also came to be simply known as ‘valentines’.

The earliest Valentine’s Day card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415 A.D. after the Battle of Agincourt. Obviously missing her dreadfully, he penned several poems, rhymed love letters or ‘valentines’ to his wife in France. One of these was sent on 14th February.

This card is preserved in the British Museum, and stands a silent testimony to just how deep and strong the roots this tradition had taken. Even aristocracy could not escape its charms!

Today, it is hard to imagine a Valentine’s Day celebration without the mandatory card. Even if one is cash-strapped for a gift, one always somehow manages a card to convey the right sentiments!

ARGGG!!!!!!!!
I hate this tournament. Last year my bracket won 2nd in a competition and I won a PSP. But this year my bracket is ruined already. All the upsets I predicted didn’t happen. And almost everyone else did get upset. Of my final four teams (UNC, Georgetown, Texas, and Duke) only 2 are left and besides that, all the teams that I root for are gone (except Texas).
Who else is this happening to? (I know it must be happening to a lot of people with all the upsets this year.)

St. Patricks Day Sinners and Saints party this weekend and dunno what to wear! Suggested was dress in green, as a devil, angel, priest, nun but I want to do something more original or funny. All I can think of as a “sinner” is Bill Clinton/Monica but those are poor examples, but you see what I mean…

I’m wondering when the March Madness basketball championship game is? Thanks for the help!

It seems as though holiday cards have been around as long as the holidays have. History tells us a different story. You may be surprised to know that holiday cards, specifically Christmas cards, first appeared in London in 1843. The very first Christmas cards were requested by Sir Henry Cole that year, and sold for a shilling. Several decades later, Louis Prang offered the first Christmas cards to Americans. It was not too long after, that Christmas cards began to be mass-produced.

Over time, holiday cards evolved into what you have today. Holiday cards have featured everything from patriotic Christmas wishes to presidential Christmas wishes. Today, cards are sent out for just about every holiday, not just Christmas, although Christmas does represent the original holiday for which cards were created.

Today, you can buy a card to celebrate just about any holiday, from Easter and St. Patrick’s Day, to Oktoberfest, Cinco de Mayo, and even New Year’s Eve. You can literally find a holiday card for just about every occasion, regardless of culture or religion. Whether you’re sending out greetings and well-wishes, or inviting people to a holiday party, there is no better way to say it than with a holiday card.

Holiday cards are easy to find just about anywhere, but in most cases, you are limited to the particular style of the store that sells the holiday cards. It can sometimes be difficult to find a card or a series of cards that will be able to send your friends and family member the right message for the holidays. Sometimes, the wording or phrase on a card is right, but not the image. Holidays are times for family, and you don’t want to give your relatives and close friends an impersonal-sounding card, so what choices do you have?

One choice is clear: shopping online for personalized cards. Many websites allow you to create customized and personalized invitations at an affordable price, and offer you the latest in design options, from photos and images, to verses and sayings. By utilizing the tools available on the web, have the ability to create holiday cards that are unique to your needs, customs, and traditions. The holidays are important to you, and now you the chance to give your family and friends something more personal than a card that thousands of other people also have access to.

Through the web, you can add your own photos and words, making each card unique and special. You even have the ability to preview your work before you send it out to be printed. Many companies offer same day printing and shipping. Whether you’re celebrating Oktoberfest, Hanukkah, or Christmas, many stores are ready and able to help. Shopping online presents you with the perfect avenue to creating cards for the holidays that will be able to say exactly what you want to exactly whom you want to say it to. Celebrate your holidays by ordering personalized cards. Let skilled professionals help you make the perfect holiday memories by creating the perfect holiday cards.

A week before St. Patrick’s Day I bought a pair of Saucony Kilkinney cross-country racing flats. They are a screaming Irish green and stick out like neon lights.

It reminded me of the Sports Illustrated magazine cover I have on my office wall recording the moment from 1994 when Eamonn Coghlan broke the tape at the finish line to become the first man over the age of 40 to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Any day is a good day to raise a glass of Jameson Irish whiskey to the likes of Marcus O’Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan, but an even better day when it is St. Patrick’s Day.

Before I honor these two Irish running legends let me first acknowledge another great Irish middle distance runner: Ron Delany.

Delany ran for legendary coach Jim “Jumbo” Elliott at Villanova, a Roman Catholic university in the tradition of St. Augustine in Pennsylvania.

Delany became the seventh member of the 4-Minute-Mile Club, but still struggled to make the Irish team for the 1956 Olympics. Once he arrived in Melbourne, he qualified for the 1,500 meter final in which the Australian runner John Landy was the odds-on favorite.

Landy indeed set the pace as Delany fell in behind until the bell lap when he ran a brilliant 53.8 split to set a then Olympic record and took home Ireland’s first gold medal in 24 years.

I believe this is where the great Irish middle distance tradition really got wings. I was 12 years old in 1956, Eamonn Coghlan was 4 years old and Marcus O’Sullivan was born 5 years later.

Delany would go on to win 4 successive AAU titles in the mile, another 4 Irish national titles and 3 NCAA titles for Villanova and Jumbo Elliott.

Marcus O’Sullivan could not get into any Irish universities in his day, but would quickly become a world class runner for Jumbo Elliott at Villanova.

He would win 3 world indoor 1,500 meter titles, compete for Ireland in 4 Olympic games over a 12-year period, and run 101 sub-4-miniute-miles.

O’Sullivan was generally regarded as a better indoor than outdoor miler, winning the prestigious Wanamaker Mile in the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden 5 times and setting the world indoor 1,500 meter record in 1989 with a time of 3:35.4.

His personal best for the mile-3:50.96-was set indoors in 1987, and his personal best for the 1,500 meters was 3:33.65 in 1992.

After his competitive running career, O’Sullivan returned to Villanova and continues today as Villanova’s Head Coach for Cross-Country and Track.

Guess who also ran for Jumbo Elliott at Villanova? Eamonn Coghlan won 4 NCAA titles at Villanova in the 1,500 or the mile.

Coghlan ran his first sub-4-minute-mile in 1975, setting a new Irish record in 3:53.2.

Like Frank Sinatra in another venue, Eamonn Coghlan would become known as “The Chairman of the Boards” because of his success on indoor tracks. He won the Wanamaker Mile a record 7 times from 1977 to 1987 at the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden.

Coghlan set the world record in the indoor mile at 3:50.6 in 1981 and again at 3:49.78 in 1983, a record that would stand for 14 years until Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj ran 3:48.45 in 1997. Coghlan’s 1983 time still remains the fastest mile ever run in the United States, and 1 of only 3 sub-3:50 miles run on American soil.

Coghlan won a world outdoor title at 5,000 meters in 1983, but he was absolutely lights out devastating indoors. Coghlan was small compared to many of his competitors and perhaps his size gave him a miniscule advantage negotiating the tight turns on the boards indoors.

He also proved he could go up in distance, setting the record for the indoor 2,000 meters in 1987 at 4:54.07, which stood for 11 years until Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia ripped off a 4:52.86 in 1998.

Coghlan also had a bit of Irish mischievousness in him when he won the 5,000 meters at the outdoor world championships in 1983. He looked at his Russian competitor ahead of him with glee as he hit the last bend before the finish, knowing he could outsprint him, and then promptly ran the Russian into the ground as he blew by to win.

Eamonn Coghlan’s personal bests are eye-popping: 800 meters (1:47.0), 1,500m (3:35.6), 1 Mile (3:49.78), 3,000m (7:36.6), 5,000m (13:19.11), 10,000 (28:09) and even the Marathon (2.25:13).

His two fourth place finishes at 1,500 meters in the 1976 Olympic Games and at 5,000 meters in the 1980 Olympic Games did nothing to enhance his sterling accomplishments.

He more than made up for it in 1994 when he returned to the boards at Harvard’s Albert J. Gordon indoor track and became the first man over 40 to break 4 minutes for the mile, running an astonishing 3:58.15 indoors.

Coghlan was 41 years old on the day he set the record. He ran more than a second faster than Englishman Roger Bannister in 1954 when he became the first ever to crack the 4-minute-mile barrier on an outdoor track.

It was a stunning moment in track and field history. Here was a man 40+ who had set the world indoor record at 3:49.78 in his prime, ran 74 sub-4-minute-miles, won 11 Irish titles and spend 30 years running competitively when it came to his last lap as fans cheered him on.

Eamonn Coghlan, like so many times before, came flying off on the final turn and sprinted for the tape and, as they say, the rest is history.

“It was like old times,” said Coghlan after the race. “Those last two laps brought it all back to me. My eardrums hurt from all the cheering, but my legs responded.”

He cited breaking the 4-minute-mile barrier indoors at 41 as his most pleasing moment, even better than the world records and the string of Wanamaker Mile victories at the Millrose Games.

It is my fond wish that the memories of these outstanding Irish middle distance runners outlast their records. Long live Ireland (Erin Go Bragh!) and the running of the green.

Copyright � 2007 Ed Bagley

Although we claim St. Patrick as our patron saint he wasn’t actually Irish at all. In fact, it’s believed that he was born in Scotland around 375AD to wealthy Roman parents who named him, Maewyn Succat.

At about the age of 16 he was supposedly kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave. Here, he was forced to work as a shepherd on Slemish Mountain in County Antrim for 6 years. It was during this time of slavery that he is said to have had a dream in which God told him to escape to the coast where a ship would take him back home.

While reunited with his family it’s said that he had another dream in which the Irish people were calling him back to “walk amongst them once more”. Inspired by these visions, St. Patrick turned his thoughts to becoming a priest and travelled to France, where he studied in a monastery for many years.

It was in France that St. Patrick was ordained as a bishop and was eventually sent back to Ireland around 432AD. He is credited as the first person to bring Christianity to Ireland. And as the old tale goes, he rid the island of snakes, but we now know that this myth probably referred to ‘ridding Ireland of Paganism’.

Of course the symbol of the shamrock is synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day. Why? Well, it’s believed that when St. Patrick came to Ireland to spread Christianity, he explained the significance of the Holy Trinity (‘God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost’) by using the three leaves of a shamrock.

It’s thought that St. Patrick travelled the length and breadth of Ireland for about 30 years of his life, converting the Irish people to Christianity.

It’s believed that he died around 493AD on March 17th. This became St. Patrick’s Feast Day – a day to mourn the Saint. It’s claimed that the Saint died at Saul in France but was buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down.

When you visit Ireland you’ll see many place-names and buildings called after St. Patrick, like St. Patrick’s Cathedral in County Armagh, which was first founded by the Saint around 445AD.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin city is also in honour of the Saint who is said to have baptised pagans to Christians in a little well close to where the cathedral is now built.

Croagh Patrick, in County Mayo, is a very popular place of pilgrimage, especially on the last Sunday of every July when pilgrims make the journey up and the mountain barefoot. Legend has it that St. Patrick spent 40 days fasting on this here.

St. Patrick has certainly left his mark on the minds of the Irish nation and indeed in numerous locations all over the country – is it any wonder that he’s the world’s most celebrated Saint?

Children love to decorate for all holidays and they love to help out in the kitchen and make crafts. The following cover all three of these areas for some special family fun!

Valentines Day Popcorn Cake

1 cup butter
32 marshmallows
16 cups popped popcorn
1 cup conversation heart candy
1 cup chocolate covered peanuts
1 cup red hot candies

Melt butter and marshmallows in a large heavy pan over low heat. Stir often. Put popcorn into large pan. Pour marshmallow mixture over top. Stir and mix well. Add peanuts and candy. Mix together.

Put mixture into a well greased angel food cake pan or cake pan. The deeper the pan the better the cake will look when you place it on your cake plate.

Valentines Day Candy House

Get your family together and make these adorable Valentines Day houses.

Each person will need the following: a sturdy paper plate to sit their house on, a small square box such as a pint size milk or juice carton enough graham crackers to cover their boxes

Everyone will need easy access to the following: Melted white chocolate to use for glue Arrangement of bowls of candies and other edible decorations such as: Conversation hearts, chocolate kisses, pretzels, red, pink & white sprinkles, colored sugars, red hots, coconut,

How to Put the House Together: Simply paint the crackers and the box with the melted white chocolate and put the crackers where you want them on the house in order to cover it. For the roof it is easier to just lay the graham cracker down flat instead of trying to angle 2 together for the roof.

Then use the melted chocolate to adhere the candies to the house. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a frosting of light snow.

Display your Valentines Day town for all to see. Do not forget to get some pictures of the cute houses and the fun time making them.

It seems like the whole USA stops just to watch some annoying overly long basketball tournament. I personally don’t like it but it seems like im the only one. Doesn’t anyone agree that the march madness is annoying?

It always seem women have a hard time shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts for men. It’s true that you can’t just get them flowers and chocolate, but it’s really not that hard to please a man on Valentine’s Day. Here’s a great list of gifts that will make your man happy with February 14th.

1) Gourmet Chocolate Gift Baskets

Everybody loves chocolate and so does your man. Buying some quality chocolates from chocolatiers like Godiva or Ghiradelli will make him happy and he can even share the quality treats with you after you give them to him!

2) Wine

Wine is always good to have on Valentine’s Day. To help to situation out, why not go ahead and buy a nice bottle of wine to make planning the day easier. Make sure to note what kind of wine he likes. If you don’t know much about wine, any wine specialty store will be more than happy to help you find the perfect bottle.

3) Tickets

Getting tickets to your Valentine’s favorite sports team or band will definitely get him excited. He can even take you and you guys can plan a great date together. Make sure to plan ahead and get good seats to a good game. The better the game + seats, the happier your guy will be.

4) GPS

Let’s face it, guys hate to ask for directions. To solve the problem, why not buy him a GPS system so he doesn’t have to. Now you don’t have to fight anymore during road trips.

For centuries Valentines Day has been the center of love and affection, with small gifts and tokens of affection passing back and forth between lovers and loved ones. But very few people know the real history of Valentines Day. Even though we now associate the holiday with love, cupids, and fanciful dreams of romance, the truth is that February 14th holds far deeper and far older traditions than one might originally think.

St. Valentine

If one looks back into historical texts of the Catholic Church, they will find that the actual history of Valentines Day revolves around the day when a saint by the name of Valentine was martyred for his faith. Apparently, Valentine was killed when he dared to defy the Roman Emperor Claudius II, and performed secret marriages for young lovers.

Other accounts claim that St. Valentine was killed when he helped Christians escape from the clutches of Roman inquisitors who were torturing and killing prisoners. Another interesting thing to note about the history of Valentines Day is that the Catholic Church actually recognizes eleven different saints named Valentine, and three of them share February 14 as their day of recognition.

Chaucer, Love Birds, and the Middle Ages

The first time in the history of Valentines Day that love and lovers are actually associated with the day is during the Middle Ages in a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. After the famous writer mentioned the two love birds that represented the engagement of the young king Richard II to his young bride to be, Anne of Bohemia.

After this first association of love in the history of Valentines Day, the idea quickly grew popular. By the 17th century, it had become custom for young lovers to exchange small tokens and hand written love notes with each other. By the 18th century, greeting cards began to be commercially produced just for the holiday; and by the middle of the 19th century, retailers began offering special gifts for young men to present to the ladies they were suiting.

Although the history of Valentines Day isn’t necessarily as romantic as we are led to believe, the fact remains that it has become one of the most popular, and commercially profitable, holidays ever. Today, men often present their wives and girlfriends with chocolates, flowers, and cards; and the day has come to be associated with the highest number of marriage proposals than any other. One fact remains true regardless of the actual history of Valentines Day – and that is the fact that this is the one day of the year when people feel the most able to express their feelings of affection for one another.

Ireland has had a multitude of national symbols throughout the centuries, as discussed in Part 1 of Symbols of Saint Patrick’s Day and Ireland. We have had the opportunity to look at the shamrock and the power of 3, the Irish harp, and the shillelagh. In Part 2 we shall examine the Leprechaun and his pot of gold, food and drink, snakes, and other familiar symbols.

The Irish have believed in fairies throughout the ages but the most familiar ones are the Leprechauns, who belong to the fairy group known as the “luchorpans” or the “wee ones.” Some people believe that some Irish fairies are, for the most part, taller and friendlier than the Leprechauns.

Leprechauns are not known for their friendliness; in fact, they seem to be lacking in all facets of social efficacy. They are generally pictured as little old men wearing all green, the better with which to remain camouflaged. A Leprechaun is about two feet tall and is often attired like a shoemaker with a tilted cap and a cobbler’s apron. A Leprechaun will never be voted Mr. Congeniality; he is distant and cantankerous, more often than not; he is a loner, living in solitude; and spends his time making shoes. (If he is so unfriendly and keeps himself in isolation, to whom does he sell his shoes?!)

The Leprechaun’s greatest possession is the pot of gold hidden at the end of a rainbow. If the Leprechaun is captured, he must (with the promise of great bodily harm) reveal the location of the gold. However, the captor must keep watch on his prisoner at all times; if the Leprechaun tricks his captor into looking away for even a split second, the little beastie will disappear into thin air and any hopes of discovering the treasure trove will come to naught.

Next comes the issue of snakes and their presumed disappearance from Ireland. As the legend goes, Saint Patrick, beating a drum, drove all the snakes in Ireland out to sea to drown. Snakes were venerated by the pagan Druids and so, it has been implied this was a figurative legend referring to the fact that Saint Patrick was responsible for driving paganism off the island. Saint Patrick was also responsible for causing the soil to be deadly to all snakes who came in contact with it. There is an amusing anecdote about the exodus of the snakes. There was a snake who refused to kowtow to Saint Patrick. The holy man got so frustrated arguing with the snake, he constructed a box with which to trap the reptile. Of course, the snake stood his ground (so to speak) and refused to listen to Saint Patrick’s blandishments over entering the box. The snake continued to refuse, declaring the box was way too small to hold him comfortably. Not giving up, Saint Patrick countered with the box was indeed just right and would the snake please be so kind as to try it on for size. The gullible serpent agreed to this proposition, just to lull Saint Patrick into a false state of tranquillity. However, as soon as the reptile entered the box, Saint Patrick slammed the lid closed and with a display of great agility and strength, flung the box, and its suspicious contents, into the sea. Effective, but not very nice.

The banishment of the snakes has been a bone of contention for many years. Those believing in the snake legend felt snakes were a symbol of wickedness; when Saint Patrick drove the snakes to sea he helped to eradicate evil from Ireland. He caused the land to be covered with lush fields of shamrocks, so that the snakes would never return. On the other hand, there are many scholars who feel that there never were any snakes in Ireland, much less in fields of shamrocks.

One part of the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day that is eagerly awaited, with fork and knife in hand, is the traditional food and drink of the holiday. One such dish is corned beef and cabbage. Only the cabbage has been around for ages; traditionally, Irish bacon was used, rather than corned beef. When Irish immigrants came to America, around the turn of the 20th century, they found Irish bacon too dear for most of their pockets. They learned about the cheaper meat, corned beef, by interacting with their eastern European immigrant neighbors.

Popular Irish foods eaten in the United States include Irish stew and Irish soda bread. In Ireland, the food most enjoyed for Saint Patrick’s Day is colcannon; this unusually-named dish is composed from mashed potatoes with melted butter, shredded kale, and minced onions.

One of the popular Saint Patrick’s Day traditions is to drink Irish beer which has green coloring added to it. It is consumed by the mug and probably by the gallon. On Saint Patrick’s Day one will probably see revelers going from pub to pub, “pub crawling,” to enjoy their favorite green beer.

Historic Blarney Castle, near the City of Cork, Ireland, is known for its magical stone. The Blarney Stone is part of the castle’s lintels, just underneath the battlements. The legend suggests various events to explain the origins of the stone. One version says that Robert the Bruce gave it to Cormac MacDermot McCarthy, in 1314; supposedly it was a portion of the Stone of Scones. Another version states the Stone was struck by Moses, with his staff, as he and the Israelites were searching for water. Yet another version, probably the most popular and believed in, tells how the Blarney Stone got its wondrous powers; an old hag of a woman, possibly a witch, was saved from drowning by a king of Munster. The old witch was so grateful to be saved from a watery grave, she conferred a blessing upon the king. If he chose to kiss the Stone set in the castle’s uppermost lintel, he would be the recipient of the gift of gab and become endeared to all he met.

The Blarney Stone has become a crowd-pleasing attraction. Multitudes of visitors attempt to kiss the Stone; however, the tourist must lie on his back and hang upside down so that he might be able to kiss the Blarney Stone and be the bearer of a silky tongue and the gift of gab. It helps to have several hardy friends to hold one’s body and, especially, legs so one does not meet with a grievous end.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bitten by a snake? Use shamrocks as an antidote for snake venom.

Schoolchildren will pinch one another on Saint Patrick’s Day if their “victims” are not wearing green.

Every year since 1962, the Chicago River (in the United States) is dyed green for Saint Patrick’s Day. Originally, pollution-control workers put green dye into the river to trace illegal sewage discharge. They dumped 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the water; this was enough dye to keep the river green for a full week. Nowadays, in an effort to minimize environmental damage, only 40 pounds of dye are used.

Thousands of Irish immigrants came to the United States as a result of the potato famine of 1845 – 1849.

I am going in to my little girls kindergarten class. Does anyone have any cute ideas for any activities I can do with the class.. Maybe something to do with Saint Patricks Day for Rhyming Words?? Any ideas would help. Thanks.

As you probably know, Saint Valentine’s Day (often known as simply as “Valentine’s Day”) is a holiday celebrated on February 14th. On this day, it is common for lovers to exchange cards, gifts or flowers, for proposals of marriage to be made, and people to give to charity, or give each other candy.

These days of course, children also want to get into the spirit of Saint Valentine’s Day. Kids love to create Valentine’s crafts, send each other Valentine’s Day greeting cards, and play Valentine’s games. Parents and teachers will therefore want to be on the lookout for activities and games that are suitable for February 14th.

One idea for a suitable activity is to play bingo. However, instead of using bingo cards containing numbers, cards containing words chosen specially for the occasion (such as “Admirer”, “Chocolates”, “Cupid”, “Kiss”, “Perfume” or “Sweet Heart”) are used instead. The kids are each given their own bingo card, the teacher or parent acts as caller, and you’re ready to play! The beauty of bingo, is that it’s easy to learn and play, can be tied in with the theme of the day, and, most importantly, is a lot of fun!

Of course in order to play the game, the main obstacle that needs to be overcome is getting suitable bingo cards. In the past, this was often a problem as you had to send off for preprinted cards, and these weren’t always cheap or easy to obtain. Today, however things are much easier – parents and teachers can simply print bingo cards from their computer: free Valentine’s bingo printables are available on the Internet, or you can download affordable and easy-to-use software which makes it incredibly easy to print custom bingo cards.