Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17th.  In Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is both a holy day and a national holiday.  Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland as he was the one who brought Christianity to the Irish. 


According to legend, Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain about God.  The shamrock, which looks like clover, has three leaves on each stem.  Saint Patrick told the people that the shamrock was like the idea of the Trinity – that in the one God there are three divine beings:  the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The shamrock was sacred to the Druids, so Saint Patrick’s use of it in explaining the trinity was very wise.


Although it began in Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world.  People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities.


Saint Patrick’s Day is usually celebrated with a parade.  The one in Dublin, Ireland is known to some as the Irish Mardi Gras.  But the one in New York City is actually one of the biggest. It lasts for hours.  Two Irish wolfhounds, the mascots of the New York National Guard infantry regiment the “Fighting 69th”, always lead the parade.  More than one hundred bands and a hundred thousand marchers follow the wolfhounds in the parade.


Ever Heard This One?
One tale about Patrick is that he drove the snakes from Ireland.  Different versions of the story, tell of him standing upon a hill, using a wooden staff to drive the serpents into the sea, banishing them forever from Ireland. 


One version says that an old serpent resisted banishment, but that Patrick outwitted him.  Patrick made a box and invited the snake to enter.  The snake insisted it was too small and the two argued.  Finally to prove his point, the snake entered the box to show how tight the fit was.  Patrick slammed the lid closed and threw the box into the sea.


Although it’s true that Ireland has no snakes, this likely had more to do with the fact that Ireland is an island and being separated from the rest of the continent the snakes couldn’t get there.  The stories of Saint Patrick and the snakes are likely a metaphor for his bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving out the pagan religions (serpents were a common symbol in many of these religions).



Leprechaun Fizz
Ingredients:

• Lime Sherbet
  
  
• Ginger Ale or Sprite

Directions:

1. Use clear plastic cups, put a scoop of lime sherbet in each, and fill with ginger ale or sprite. 
   
   
2. Kids love to watch the green fizz! 

St. Pat's Potato Candy 
Yes, there really is potato in this classic Irish treat, though you'd never know by tasting. Rolled in coconut, these mini spud-shaped sweets make a perfect St. Patrick's Day dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 large potato
  
  
• Pinch of salt
  
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  
• 4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar
  
  
• 5 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Peel the potato and boil it in water until soft. In a mixing bowl, mash the cooked potato with the salt and butter. Then -- this is key -- let it cool completely, or else it will melt the sugar when you add it.
   
   
2. Mix in the vanilla extract and 4 cups of sugar. At this point, the mixture should be stiff. If it isn't, add more sugar.
   
   
3. Sprinkle half of the coconut onto a waxed-paper-covered surface and turn the potato mixture onto it. Roll the batter until all of the coconut has been mixed in, then shape teaspoonfuls into small balls.
   
   
4. Roll the balls individually in the remaining coconut. Chill the finished candies until you're ready to serve them. Makes about 4 dozen.
   
   

St. Patrick's Pot of Gold 
Surprise your favorite little people on March 17th with these wee emerald pots filled with sweet, edible gold.

Ingredients

• 3-ounce box of lemon-flavor gelatin
  
  
• 6 limes
  
  
• Sugar
  
  
• 1 teaspoon of whipped cream

Instructions

1. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang on each side (this will make removing the gelatin easier). Combine a 3-ounce box of lemon-flavor gelatin and 1 cup of boiling water in a medium bowl, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in 1 cup of cold water, then pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill the gelatin for 4 hours or until firm, then slice the gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes.
   
   
2. Cut off the top quarter of each of 6 limes, then, without cutting into the fruit, slice a thin layer of peel from the bottom of each one to help them stand upright. With a small knife, cut around the inside of each lime's rind to loosen the pulp, then spoon it out to make a shell.

Place a pinch of sugar and 1 teaspoon of whipped cream in the bottom of each shell, then fill each lime pot with gelatin gold. Makes 6.