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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Feeling Lucky?





    St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner.  I don't know about you.. but usually when I think of St. Patrick's day, I think of.. corned beef & cabbage, leprechauns, rainbows, shamrocks, and green.. everything green, right?  People must wear green, eat green things, and ewww, even drink green beer!  This day has become a secular celebration of Irish culture, and to many, just another excuse to gratify the flesh.  But this is far from the real story and celebration of St. Patrick.  My knowledge of St. Patrick before I wrote this blog was that St. Patrick was a man who brought Christianity to Ireland and maybe chased away some snakes or something??  Hmmm, I decided I should investigate.

  What I learned about St. Patrick was that he was born Maewyn Succat in Roman-Britain in the latter half of the 4th century to a wealthy family.  He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by Irish Pirates and sold into slavery.  During 6 years of captivity in Ireland, he became extremely close to God, and prayed continually.  One night, in a dream, God told him to flee and go to the coast where he would find a ship to take him back to his homeland.  He listened, and after walking 200 miles, he reached the ocean & got on board!  He spent 20 years learning as a monk in Britain before he felt called to return and share Christianity to the very people who had cruelly enslaved him!  What an example of forgiveness!  Legends say he would often use a Shamrock as a way to explain the trinity, with a leaf for the Father, a leaf for the Son, and a leaf for the Holy Spirit.  He died on March 17th after 30 successful years in Ireland converting thousands of people and starting many churches.   Oh, and by the way I also learned that there have never been any snakes in Ireland. Ha


If you are interested,   I've attached the Veggie Tales Short Video about St. Patrick's day.  It is from the Veggie Tales DVD "Sumo of the Opera".  I think it does a good job of sharing about St. Patrick in a fun way kids (and silly adults) can enjoy.



  I'm starting to get a little excited!  St. Patrick's day could be a great way to explain and show the love of Christ to our family, friends and neighbors! Now, when I see a shamrock, I'll be reminded to pray for those on the mission field.  I'm planning on making it an extra special day for my family by doing some of the traditional things like wearing green and eating corned beef but I wanted to share a few other upcoming St. Patrick's Day events  you might want to do with your family.


On Saturday the 16th, there will be a St. Patrick's day Parade and faire in Downtown Phoenix.  The parade begins at 10am and travels south from 3rd St & Sheridan to Margaret T Hance Park 1106 N. Central Ave.  The Parade is free.  The faire costs $10 for adults and $1 for ages 6-12.  Under 6 years is free.  There will be step dancers and Irish bands, arts & crafts vendors, inflatable rides, face painting a petting zoo and more.  Visit Phxirish.org for more information.

On Sunday the 17th in Fountain Hills, there will be Irish music, food, kids' activities and the fountain will turn emerald green at noon. This event is $5 for adults and free for anyone under 21. Visit http://www.fountainhillsguide.com/events/st-patricks-day-celebration-fountain-hills-az.aspx for more information.  



Ok, I need your help!  What do you do to make your St. Patrick's day extra special?  Comment with an Irish recipe, a fun craft idea, a favorite tradition or memory, an activity to do or event to go to and your name will be entered into a drawing to win this adorable St. Patrick's day decoration!  The winner will be chosen on March 18th so check back for the winner!



6 comments:

  1. ALWAYS make this Irish Soda Bread and share it with friends or coworkers! I love that I will now be able to tie the holiday back to forgiveness! Thanks Nik!

    Dave Ryan’s Irish Soda Bread

    2 ½ cups raisins (soaked in water)

    5 Cups flour

    1 tsp baking soda

    2 tsp baking powder

    ¾ cup sugar

    ½ tsp salt



    1 egg slightly beaten

    2 ½ cups buttermilk

    1 stick butter



    3 Tbsp Caraway seeds (opt)



    Soak raisins in water for at least an hour then drain. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter. Stir in raisins and caraway. Add buttermilk and egg, stirring only until all flour is moistened. Generously grease two loaf pans. Divide batter between pans. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until done.

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    1. Ooh, thanks Erin! I was looking for a good Irish Soda Bread recipe to make!

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  2. I so much enjoyed this St Patrick's Day blog! So educational, and I learned things that I never knew. I will never look at a Shamrock the same "Nonchalant" way again. It will have a much bigger meaning to me from now on.

    So, this St Patrick's Day we will be celebrating it with friends. Also doing the traditional things such as wearing green, eating Corn Beef, and drinking green drinks.

    I found instructions on how to make these adorable leprechaun hats. They are made out of cookies and marshmallows. I plan to make some to take to the St Patrick's Day party we are attending.

    See below for the link to the blog where you will find pictures of them and also the instructions on how to make them. Hope you love them as much as I do!

    Happy St Patrick's Day!

    Linda


    http://blog.hwtm.com/2012/03/diy-tutorial-leprechaun-hat-smores/

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  3. Our seventh born grandson is named Maewyn after St. Patrick.

    My father's family came from two brothers who were the last of their family alive during the Irish potato famine so they immigrated to the US.

    I used to always make green mashed potatoes, lime jello, green pancakes, and green apple sauce with whatever the good Lord provided to go with. Green shamrock rolls baked in cupcake pans were always a favorite of my children. I also did green pressed cookies and sometime we had green pasta.

    I lost my daddy on Saint Patrick's Day which stole my joy for several years. Now I have a precious grandson who was born on St. Patrick's Day. Now I have the joy of his life to celebrate.

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  4. Congratulations Twyla! Your name was drawn as the winner of the St. Patrick's Day Cross!

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  5. Thank you!! I will not be at church until Easter. I am off to see my dear little Maewyn and the rest of his family. I will worship with them for Palm Sunday at Hillard Church of Christ where his daddy is the children's minister.

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