Being of  Irish heritage, the celebration of St Patrick’s Day was an awaited experience. The day began with warm Irish soda bread from the oven and ended with a gathered family enjoying a well-prepared “Dinner”. In addition to the wonderful homemade delicacies, St Patrick’s Day provided an excuse to FINALLY spend an extended amount of time outside. The prospect of the parade allowed “Ma“ to be more lenient with undue exposure to the cold. Showing off our green sweaters was a ready excuse to leave behind our winter weight coats. Once at the parade, we were allowed to jump about and cheer for the local policemen or shout jovially at the neighbor’s poodle dyed green.  The parade served as a brief reminder of the carefree days of spring and summer that lie just around the corner. 

As an adult , my perspective of St . Patrick’s Day has developed. The popularity of St. Patrick’s Day across cultures has increased. In NYC, a common adage is, “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day“. Being of proud Irish heritage, I rather believe that this is due to the inherent signaling of spring that the holiday provides. St Patrick’s Day arrives days before Spring . At this point, few of us can wait for the flowers to begin to sprout or for the robins to return. The wearing of green by thousands at a parade strongly mimics the appearance of green grass. To me, St. Patrick’s Day is a shout to the earth, “Look at me , look at me ! I am sooo ready for Spring!”

So this year, I encourage you to celebrate the “green “of St. Patrick’s Day.  Buy a new plant for your garden or home to keep the hope of the coming spring alive. While my bias would suggest a small container of shamrocks, anything that is green and vibrant would be a wonderful idea.  If wearing green is not an option, try wearing a more colorful shirt than usual. After the amount of snow and rain many of us have experienced this winter, a gentle nudge to Mother Earth to send the warmer days of spring sooner would be appreciated!