March 17, 2021, Kathy Keyi Jia-Jones
I put out all the green attire and decorations accumulated over the years—green hats, scarfs with shamrocks, table cloth with four leaf-clovers, the pot of gold, and of course, the Ryan king of the leprechaun! Today is St. Patrick’s Day.
This Day commemorates Saint Patrick and the start of Christianity in Ireland and has evolved into a celebration of Irish heritage and culture.
As my husband’s family background is British and Irish, we took a family trip to Britain and Ireland a few years ago. It was a great opportunity for all of us, especially the kids, to learn about this part of their heritage. It was a wonderful trip. In Ireland, we visited Cork, the Cliffs of Moher, kissed the Blarney Stone, stayed in Dublin, and then took a train to Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Mike in the middle, the driver of the World’s Funniest Bus, Cork
A Night of Story Telling, Music, and Drinking, Dublin
The Cellar, The Merrion Hotel, Dublin
We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day every year. Before Covid we would go to a local Irish Pub in York Region, Ontario, to watch the band play Irish music and enjoy fish and chips or shepherd’s pie, and drink a pint of very green beer. We had to make reservations in advance as the place was usually packed.
Unfortunately, due to COVID, all the celebration activities have been canceled. But today we will wear green, maybe watch the Maple Leafs play hockey in their green jerseys (see Note below), and drink the Guinness Stout my daughter has brought back!
“Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” and have a cracker! (Cracker in Northern Ireland refers to something that is really good).
St. Patrick’s Day celebration at a local pub in 2019
Note: Maple Leafs were one of the founding members of the NHL. St. Patricks was actually the team name in 1919, and won two Stanley Cups during the NHL’s first five years—glorious times! The team was then purchased by Conn Smythe and renamed the Maple Leafs. Every year during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the Leafs wear green jerseys.
Written by Kathy Keyi Jia-Jones
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