Hello E-Trenders! St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and we wanted to kick off March with some Irish inspiration!
We baked up colorful rainbow cupcakes and plan to share the recipe and "how to" with you in part two of this blog post later next week. BUT first, we asked EventTrender Contributor, Judy Rizzo to explore some of the traditions behind St. Patrick's Day.
E-Trenders - here is a sneak peek of the St. Patty's Day rainbow cupcake - we can't wait to show you the rainbow baking technique - so easy!
Okay - let's get to the meaning of St. Patrick's Day and add a little Irish inspiration from some of our favorite bloggers!
St. Patrick's Day is whimsical and fills the air with magic! It doesn't matter what nationality you are, the day is shamrock green and full of fun, legends and song and dance.
Every holiday celebrated is defined by symbols of all varieties. St. Patrick's Day follows suit with many traditions that have old stories and beliefs attached to them.
Let's start with the shamrock. This was chosen as Ireland's national emblem because of the legend that St. Patrick himself had used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. We know the green shamrock is considered good luck and people all over enjoy believing this.
Love this shamrock yogurt covered pretzel by Sun Scholars - check out the "how to" here.
The leprechaun is a cutie although stories tell us he is quite aloof and unfriendly. His name comes from an old Irish word, " Luchorpan", which means little man.
A leprechaun is an Irish fairy who looks like a small old man, two feet tall, and dressed like a shoemaker. He lives alone and passes his time making shoes. The mystery is that he has a hidden pot of gold somewhere and he may be drinking a bit of Irish cheer!
Thank you Martha for the Irish Coffee recipe "how to" here
Then there's that famous old Blarney Stone. The word "blarney" has come to mean nonsense or smooth flattering talk in almost any language. Tradition says that if you visit the Blarney Castle in County Cork and kiss the Blarney Stone, you will receive the true gift of gab and the power of persuasion.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the castle tower and you may be one of the fortunate tourists to live the experience.
Another widely used symbol of St. Patrick's Day is the harp. The harp is an ancient musical instrument used in Ireland for centuries. Harpists and poets played an important role in the social structure of Ireland and were supported by kings.
One of our ET followers Diane Dunn pictured with her majestic harp. If you live in the Metro-Detroit area and need to hire a harpist - Diane is your gal! Check out her Heart and Harp website here.
Now back for more St. Patrick's Day history...
The rainbow with the infamous pot of gold at the end is a legendary story that fascinates all ages. Create your own pot of gold favors inspired by Twig & Thistle and One Charming Party. We love this inventive lucky day takeaway!
We enjoy hearing the Irish story of fairies putting gold in the pot and leprechauns guarding it. Rainbows, with their lovely and magical appearance, lead to the treasure. It requires hope and luck to find this pot of gold, a symbolism adopted by the Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and everything Irish.
Rainbow Layer Cake by Love and Olive Oil
To sum it up, the Irish celebrate life and love and honor friendships and enjoy the present moment. Their real treasure lies in the laughter and songs among friends. They have found the rainbow and embrace it in their own Irish way.
So, whatever your heritage, Irish or not, enjoy everything green and have a happy St. Patrick's Day!
Don't forget E-Trenders we have more Irish Inspiration coming soon!
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