Well, fancy that!
I have never seen a St Patrick’s Day parade. I have never been to a St Patrick’s Day party. I have never eaten a Guinness cake or drunk an Irish Car Bomb Cocktail. (What IS it anyway?) In fact, unless you have Irish roots, frequent an Irish pub, or are an avid fan of Guinness, the average English person will not celebrate St Patrick’s Day, and to be honest I think that is perfectly fine. St Patrick’s Day is for the Irish, isn’t it?
Wrong!
Did you know the Caribbean island of Montserrat (also known as the Emerald Island of the Caribbean) celebrates St Patrick’s Day as a national holiday? It is the only country – besides Ireland, Newfoundland, and Labrador – which does so. Irish refugees settled there in the 17th century to escape anti-Catholic violence, thus founding the small state. Well, actually the date coincides with the anniversary of a failed slave uprising of March 17, 1789. Whatever! An excellent excuse to merge all traditions and celebrate for a week or so!
Apart from that, a substantial number of American citizens have Irish roots, which means the traditions of St Patrick’s Day live on across the water…
By the way, I went looking for a four-leaf clover …
I didn’t find one, but I did see something running into my flower bed…
Click on the photo to see up close… is it a pixie? A leprechaun? Or have I had one too many glasses of Irish cream liqueur?….
If you’re celebrating, have a great day!
Words and Herbs 