iMommies St. Patrick’s Day Contest
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th,
iMommies is giving away two green 1GB iPod Shuffles!
Entries will be reviewed in two categories, and one winner selected from each. You may enter one, or both, of the categories below.
Category 1 (Website/Blog Post)
To enter the Category 1 giveaway, write a post about the iMommies St. iPodtrick’s Day giveaway and link back to this post. The article should include an Irish fact from history, Irish tradition, Irish limerick, or anything else related to St. Patrick’s Day!
Category 2 (iMommies Comment)
To enter the Category 2 giveaway, leave a comment to this post. The comment should again include an Irish fact from history, Irish tradition, Irish limerick, or anything else related to St. Patrick’s Day!
To help out with this St. Patrick’s Day giveaway, I’ve sought the guidance of St. Rebecca, my very best friend from Seattle. Rebecca is fabulously witty, candid, creative, unique, the best listener in the world…she’s fair, intelligent, honest, open-minded…AND…she’s Irish!
Rebecca will review all of the entries posted, and will select one winner from each category, based on creativity, originality, Irish authenticity, and overall appeal.
The final day to enter is March 14th, and winning entries will be announced on March 17th.
To get started, here’s my Irish limerick…
There once were two iPods o’green,
They sat lifeless, still, and serene.
In not too many moons
They’ll find their iTunes,
But we must wait ‘til March 17
Best o’ the Irish luck to ye all!
“Women are wiser than men because they know less and understand more.”
I love this quote from James Stephens, Irish poet and fiction writer, one of the leading figures of the Irish literary renaissance.
It is short, simple, yet oh so very true
I am from the home of Notre Dame - every St Patrick’s Day the beer was green everywhere- this was/is a HUGE tradition there.
[...] Where: iMommies [...]
My dad was born on St. Patty’s Day, AND I’m (part) Irish!!!
Fun Fact From National Geographic News: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0315_050315_stpatricksday.html
“Many myths surround St. Patrick. One of the best known—and most inaccurate—is that Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland into the Irish Sea, where the serpents drowned. (Some still say that is why the sea is so rough.)
But snakes have never been native to the Emerald Isle. The serpents were likely a metaphor for druidic religions, which steadily disappeared from Ireland in the centuries after St. Patrick planted the seeds of Christianity on the island.”
Happy St. Pattys Day from a very Irish girl! Here’s a joke for you:
An aging man lived alone in Ireland. His only son was in Long Kesh Prison, and he didn’t know anyone who would spade up his potato garden. The old man wrote to his son about it, and received this reply, “For HEAVENS SAKE, don’t dig up that garden, that’s where I buried the GUNS!!!!!”
At 4 A.M. the next morning, a dozen British soldiers showed up and dug up the entire garden, but didn’t find any guns. Confused, the man wrote to his son telling him what happened and asking him what to do next.
His son’s reply was: “Just plant your potatoes.”
St. Patrick’s Day is my anniversary, so every year I prepare the traditional corned beef and cabbage!
An Irish Blessing
May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two,
May the sun always shine on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain,
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
an irish blessing for you:
A SUNBEAM TO WARM YOU
A MOONBEAM TO CHARM YOU
A SHELTERING ANGEL THAT NOTHING CAN HARM YOU
IM VERY IRISH & WOULD LOVE TO WIN 1 OF THESE GREEN CAMERAS TO TAKE TO THE ST PATS PARADE NEXT YEAR!
GOD BLESS YOU!
Oooh, hope I win, I LOVE GREEN and I LOVE music! I like this IrishLierick, especially since I work at a college:
“There once was an old man of Esser,
Whose knowledge grew lesser and lesser,
It at last grew so small
He knew nothing at all,
And now he’s a college professor.”
An odd Irish birthday tradition is to lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps should allegedly correspond to the child’s age plus one.
I think this is so funny!!
-Tanya
Here are some fun St. Patrick’s Day things you can do with your kids to celebrate: Use a few drops of food coloring (like Mccormicks) in the tub to have Green bath fun. We like to make magic sparkle bread. Take a slice of bread. Use a large cookie cutter to cut a clover shape (or your preferred shape) spread with butter and sprinkle with green colored sugar. Hide some pennies around the backyard and have the kids go on a hunt for the Leprechaun’s treasure-this keeps our kids busy a long time!
I was taught that St. Patrick used the shamrock leaf to symbolize the Trinity, that’s why today many people wear a shamrock to commemorate Saint Patrick’s Day.
My grandmother was born in Ireland, so every year we had a tradition of starting the day with green eggs and ham for breakfast. For dinner we had corned beef sandwiches, sour cream and onion chips, pickles, and pistachio pudding for dessert. When we were younger my mom sent us on treasure hunts around the house to find the lepruchan with his treasure (candy for us). St. Patrick’s Day was always a fun holiday in our house!
This definitely isn’t Irish trivia, but it’s become a family tradition. My husband and son play night golf every St. Patrick’s Day at a local golf course. It’s a great way to honor another culture and spend father/son time!
The first St. Patrick’s day parade was not in Ireland but in the United States. It took place in New York when the British troops marched through on March 17, 1762.
The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.”
Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure.
Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O’Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland in general.
I hope the giveaway date is lucky for me– its my 45th brithday . I am going from 44 and Foxy to 45 and fierce:)
I remember St Patricks Day back when I was in first grade! The teacher told us that the leprechauns had left us a giant pot of gold filled with candy (of course!) at the end of the rainbow. The imagination is such a wonderful thing! I still swear that I saw little leprechauns prancing around the room. Ohhhh! If we could all just be kids again! Here is a little story I found about leprechauns:
Legend tells that if you are lucky enough to find a leprechaun, you must be careful not to let the little green guy out of your sight until he tells you where the pot of gold is. You had better be on your toes, though, because leprechauns are known to be cunning and quick - in the blink of an eye, the gold guard will dash out of sight, taking your hopes for good fortune with him.
My sister was born on St. Patty’s Day—here is my fact about Ireland……………’Ireland’ is divided into two countries: The Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland
St. Patrick’s Day PINCH — School children have started a little tradition of their own. They pinch classmates who don’t wear green on this holiday. Wearing green is strictly a U.S. custom, as the color green is not popular in Ireland. Green is connected to the old green flag and a time when Ireland was not free. Green is also a color connected with hope and nature.
Here are some fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day:
St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the United States date back as far as 1737, when Boston held the first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade.
In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day would not be St. Patrick’s Day unless the Chicago River is dyed green. This tradition began in 1962, when Chicago pollution-control workers used green dye to trace illegal sewage discharges in the river. The workers thought it might be a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, so they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river – enough to keep it green for a week! The idea was a hit, and continues to this day. However, only 40 pounds of dye are used today to minimize environmental damage.
Corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal enjoyed by many on St. Patrick’s Day, but only half of it is truly Irish. Cabbage has long been a staple of the Irish diet, but it was traditionally served with Irish bacon, not corned beef. The corned beef was substituted for bacon by Irish immigrants to the Americas around the turn of the century who could not afford the real thing. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.
There was a young lady one fall
Who wore a newspaper dress to a ball.
The dress caught fire
And burned her entire
Front page, sporting section and all.
What a great contest. Here is my Irish fact. The name “lephrechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”
There once was a cop they called Bailey.
His partner was O so hairy.
The bad man could run,
But not have much fun,
For the partner you see had a tail-y
history: our last name is Bailey and DH is a K-9 cop!
Thanks for the leap day fun!!
~Lana~
I posted about the contest on my blog~ including my fun Irish fact and a bit of trivia about myself as well! You can see my post here: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ReviewsbyHeidi/490116/
Every St. Patrick’s day the kids and I celebrate with green milk, clover sandwiches (three hearts and a little scrap for the stem), and we make our own clover decorations using coffee filters cut in the shape of a clover and then taking blue and yellow food coloring and dropping a drop at a time on the filter. (They get to learn the lesson of yellow and blue make green which is really cool too.)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone.
I love the story of St. Patrick and his journey! St. Patrick was actually born in Britain, not Ireland.
Here is a little known fact about St. Patrick!
St. Patrick’s Day marks the Roman Catholic feast day for Ireland’s patron saint, who died in the 5th century. St. Patrick (Patricius in Latin) was not born in Ireland, but in Britain.
• Irish brigands kidnapped St. Patrick at 16 and brought him to Ireland. He was sold as a slave in the county of Antrim and served in bondage for six years until he escaped to Gaul, in present-day France. He later returned to his parents’ home in Britain, where he had a vision that he would preach to the Irish. After 14 years of study, Patrick returned to Ireland, where he built churches and spread the Christian faith for some 30 years.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0315_050315_stpatricksday.html
Here’s an Irish proverb I like and thought it would be appropriate for our group -
‘Tis better to spend money like there’s no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there’s no money!
My mother’s birthday is on March 17th and we have always had St Patty’s Day themed parties for her every year. This is a quote we had put on her cake once and she loved it!
O, the red rose may be fair,
And the lily statelier;
But my shamrock, one in three
Takes the very heart of me!
~Katherine Tynan
I believe this quote from Irish writer Sean O’Casey says it all!
“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”
- Sean O’Casey
P.S. Happy B-Day to my hubby Galen whose B-Day is 03/17!! You have made my life better & your constant love reminds me how lucky I am to be your wife.
There once was a Mommy of one,
Whose world spun around her dear son,
He loves to sing and dance
and will if given the chance,
We’d put that Ipod to use if we won!
This is an old Irish wedding custom.
* Ancient custom: In the old days, couples ate salt and oatmeal at the beginning of their reception: Each of them took three mouthfuls as a protection against the power of the evil eye. Also, when a couple is dancing, the bride can’t take both feet off the floor because the fairies will get the upper hand. Fairies love beautiful things and one of their favorites is a bride. There’s many an Irish legend about brides being spirited away by the little people! For the same reason, it’s bad luck for a bride to wear green. I’ve also heard that it’s bad luck for anyone to wear green at an Irish wedding - but I think it really only applies to the bride. It’s also bad luck for a bride or the groom to sing at their own wedding.
I love this poem:
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.
From Hymns for Little Children by Cecil F. Alexander. HE was born in Co. Wicklow and is thought to have written the words at Markree Castle, Collooney, Co. Sligo.
:o) Rachel
My girls and I have enjoyed making leprechaun traps through the years. It is a fun craft to get the kids involved and they are always excited the next morning to see if they have trapped anything! I found these instructions on-line…
Building Your Own Leprechaun Trap
It is very difficult to catch a tricky Leprechaun, but you can sure have fun trying! The first thing you need to do is build a trap. There is no right or wrong way to build a Leprechaun trap.
You can make a contraption with a net, boxes, a clean can, or anything else you can think of such as paper towel rolls, empty containers, tin foil, paper, string or yarn, sandwich bags, etc; or, how about using an old shoe since they are said to be cobblers. You have to be very creative to catch a Leprechaun.
Once you build your trap, don’t forget to add bait to help lure the Leprechaun. Since Leprechauns are very greedy, one of the best things you can use for bait are coins! If you don’t want to use real coins, you can easily substitute candy coins or make your own gold coins by cutting circles out of cardboard and painting them gold. Gold nuggets made by painting small rocks are another option.
Here are a few more tips and suggestions to help you get started:
Rainbows are good to use on or around your trap.
Color your trap green and decorate it with green items (stickers, glitter, etc)
Leprechauns are also attracted to four leaf clovers.
Leprechauns like Lucky Charms cereal!
Make sure your trap is disguised well - make sure it blends into its surroundings.
No two traps should be alike or the Leprechaun will get suspicious and leave.
A Leprechaun will leave a trail of gold and/or green glitter, so watch for it!
My daughter hardly knows she’s part Irish
She would rather think about playing go fish
She loves to kiss things like Barney
And is not interested in kissing the Blarney
She may have red hair
And skin that is really fair
But she is not someone’s little leprechaun!
An Irish Toast
May you be in Haven a half hour before thr devil knows you’re dead.
My now almost 20 year old son had a fabulous teacher who is Irish for 4th grade. On St. Patrick’s Day the class cooked soda bread and Irish potato soup for lunch. In the afternoon her husband, a very talented Irish musician, can in and played music while she taught the class Irish dancing. What a memorable day for the class. This is something he talks about and for many years he was interested in Irish music and we went to a number of Irish festivals.
There was a young lady one fall
Who wore a newspaper dress to a ball.
The dress caught fire
And burned her entire
Front page, sporting section and all.
Guess she didn’t have the luck o the Irish!
Can you get more Irish than Grogan? That’s my maiden name. I have recently traced my geneaology back to Kilkenney, Ireland. I really enjoy learning more about my family history. St Patricks Day in Ireland is usually a day with family at church and feasting together watching the parades in the US. The day is the national holiday of the Irish people. Today there are festivals and some parades in Ireland. A shamrock is usually worn on the chest.
Lá Fhéile Pádraig (LAW AY-luh PAW-rihg) = St. Patrick’s Day
For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way -
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.
~Author Unknown
Saint Patrick’s Breastplate
The prayer used by St. Patrick to protect his followers from the King-He prayed and the whole group changed into deer and ran past the warriors to the hall of the king where he successfully did a battle of words with the Druids.
I bind me to-day
Gods might to direct me
Gods Power to protect me
Gods wisdom for learning
Gods eye for discerning
Gods ear for my hearing
Gods Word for my clearing
Gods hand for my cover
Gods path to pass over
Gods buckler to guard me
Gods army to ward me
Against snares of the devil
Against vices temptation
Against wrong inclination
Against men who plot evil
Near or afar with many or few
Christ near
Christ here
Christ be with me
Christ beneath me
Christ within me
Christ behind me
Christ be o er me
Christ Before me
Christ in the left and the right
Christ hither and thither
Christ in the sight
Of each eye that shall seek me
In each ear that shall hear
In each mouth that shall speak me
Christ not the less
In each heart I address
I bind me to-day on the Triune I call
With faith in the Trinity-unity
God over all.
(trans. Sigerson)
Try a traditional Irish dinner of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. Makes a great dinner and has fabulous leftover possibilities.
Ingredients
1-4½ pound corned beef brisket
4 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 onion, quartered 1 bulb garlic, cut crosswise so each clove is cut in half
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 whole clove, optional
1 medium head cabbage, cut into eighths
1½ pounds small (about 1-inch diameter) red potoatoes
Cooking Instructions
Rinse corned beef under running water. Place in large pot. Add allspice, bay leaves, mustard seeds, onion, peppercorns, and clove. Add enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil, skim any scum if needed. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook about 4 hours, or until fork-tender. Remove and keep warm.
Strain out spices and vegetables from cooking water. Add cabbage and potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes until fork tender
I am not Irish but my husband is and I love ipods
The term Hill Billy was was given by the British to the Settlers of the Virginia mountains.
crossing my fingers!!!
ROCK AND ROLL LEPRECHAUN
When catching bugs on my front lawn,
I spied a lucky leprechaun.
He gave a sly and impish grin
and scratched his tiny, bearded chin.
“I guess it is me gold you’re after,”
said the little man with laughter.
“Here’s me tale. It’s such a shame.
There is no wealth for you to claim.
“I have no gold you understand.
I play guitar. I’m in a band.
I spent me gold on flashy clothes
and microphones and stereos.
“A fancy bus with white-walled tires,
diamond studded amplifiers,
silver plated cymbal stands,
and small guitars for little hands.”
“But still,” he said, “you caught me fair,
and since I have no gold to share,
I have two tickets - second row.
We play tonight. Enjoy the show!”
He shook my hand and smoothed his beard.
Then, with a wink, he disappeared.
A concert’s fine, but truth be told,
I think I’d rather have the gold.
–Eric Ode
Submitted by: Holli
Happy St. Patricks Day All! Don’t forget to wear your green!
You can read what I wrote on my blog for this contest at http://merrilymusingmom.blogspot.com/2008/02/st-ipodtricks-day-giveaway.html . I especially enjoy the friendliness of the Irish people, and their penchant for socializing at the local pub or eatery with family and friends. I recently found out that through my husband’s father’s mother’s side of the family (got all that?!) we are part Irish…so even more reason to celebrate! Here’s my Irish blessing for all of you:
“May God give you…For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.”
There was a young lady named Hannah,
Who slipped on a peel of banana.
As she lay on her side,
More stars she aspied
Than there are in the Star-Spangled Banner.
Patrick was born in the later half of the 4th century AD.
There are differing views about the exact year and place of his birth.
According to one school of opinion, he was born about 390 A.D.,
while the other school says it is about 373 AD. Again, his birth place
is said to be in either Scotland or Roman England.
His real name was probably Maewyn Succat.
Though Patricius was his Romanicized name,
he was later came to be familiar as Patrick.
Scranton and Lackawanna County have deep Irish roots, which manifest themselves annually with one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the nation and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dinner, now in its 95th year. This year will mark the second year for the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, an alternative dinner for women.
The Irish came to this area starting in the early 1800s, many to work in the coal mines. Through the years, they became perhaps the most dominant ethnic group in Lackawanna County, rising to prominence in politics, the judiciary, religion, medicine and other positions of leadership in the community. By latest count, more than 30 percent of the county’s population is of Irish descent.
To get a sense of just how prominent Scranton’s Irish community is, consider these historical tidbits:
WB01512_.gif (115 bytes)John F. Kennedy’s stop here was reported to be one of the best of his presidential campaign.
WB01512_.gif (115 bytes) In 1964, Robert F. Kennedy made his first public speech here at the Friendly Sons dinner following the assassination of his brother.
WB01512_.gif (115 bytes) When Dr. Garret Fitzgerald, prime minister of Ireland, visited the United States in 1986, he made three stops - Washington, the United Nations in New York and the Friendly Sons dinner in Dickson City.
WB01512_.gif (115 bytes) Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein, chose Scranton as one of two U.S. cities he officially visited in 1996.
As we approach St. Patrick’s Day, Scranton’s Irishness will blossom with parades, dinners, musical performances, speeches, laughter and song as the area’s Irish boast of their greatness and poke fun at their frailties.
St. Patrick was born about 390 AD in Roman Britain. As a youth he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland, where he tended sheep. Living as a shepard in the isolation of the mountains he became a mystic.
He escaped six years later on a ship which taking dogs to Gaul (France). At some point he returned to his family in Britain, then seems to have studied at several monasteries in Gaul. He returned to Ireland about 435 AD as a missionary. He used his familiarity with the culture to introduce Christianity to the Irish. Rather than attacking paganism, he used pagan symbols to win converts. It is said that he used the three-leafed shamrock, the traditional pagan symbol of spring, to explain the concept of the Trinity; hence its strong association with his day and name. He superimposed the pagan symbol of the sun onto the Christian cross giving the celtic cross its shape. Tradition has it that he drove all of the snakes out of the country, a metaphor for the banishment of paganism from ancient Ireland.
Patrick was the first Christian Bishop outside of the Roman Empire. At the time of his death on March 17, 461 AD he was proclaimed a Saint by his followers in Ireland and a feast day was proclaimed in his honor on the day of his passing.
The Church permitted a feast in St. Patrick’s honor each March 17. Falling midway in through the fasting season of Lent, St. Patrick’s Day became associated with feasting, dancing and drinking.
St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time — a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic.
Adrienne Cook
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.
Alex Levine
For the young Gaels of Ireland
Are the lads that drive me mad,
For half their words need footnotes
And half their rhymes are bad.
Arthur Guiterman
An Irishman can be worried by the consciousness that there is nothing to worry about.
Austin O’Malley
Other people have a nationality. The Irish and the Jews have a psychosis.
Brendan Behan
I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society,
except that which makes to road safer, the beer stronger,
the old men and women warmer in the winter, and happier in the summer.
Brendan Behan
Ireland is where strange tales begin
and happy endings are possible.
Charles Haughey
Irishness is not primarily a question of birth or blood or language; it is the condition of being involved in the Irish situation, and usually of being mauled by it.
Conor Cruise O’Brien
For an Irishman, talking is a dance.
Deborah Love
Like an Irishman’s obligation, all on the one side, and always yours.
English saying
I showed my appreciation of my native land in the usual Irish way by getting out of it as soon as I possibly could.
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Put an Irishman on the spit and you can always get another Irishman to turn him.
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
An Irishman’s heart is nothing but his imagination.
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
My one claim to originality among Irishmen is that I have never made a speech.
George Moore
When Irish eyes are smiling, watch your step.
Gerald Kersh
The Irish do not want anyone to wish them well; they want everyone to wish their enemies ill.
Harold Nicolson
A few years ago I nannied for an Irish family (Sweeney!). I enjoyed planning fun activities for their 3 boys, and especially on holidays. Of course (and despite my Scandinavian heritage), I had to think of something great for St. Patricks Day. I did a few things. First, after the boys (ages 8, 6, 3) had gone up to bed I took out some washable tempera pain in guess which color - green! Then I meticulously crawled all along the tile and wood floors while stamping “leprechaun footprings”! The footprints started with a sign written with green marker about how the kids would never find the treasure stashed away somewhere in the house. At least something cheesy like that. The oldest wouldn’t buy it, but I tried to encourage him to keep it fun for the younger two, who were wide-eyed when they found the footprints and poster the next morning. I told them that they could not follow the footprints until after they’d eaten breakfast. They sat down at the kitchen table where I’d filled their bowls with the cereal choice of the week. Then, like I normally did, I poured milk on top of the cereal. This time, however, I had squirted 3 drops of green food coloring underneath the cereal, and when I poured the milk, the milk turned a fantastic shade of green! The youngest was grossed out so we got him another bowl (oh well, it was worth his expression!), but the older two thought it was way cool! After breakfast we followed the footprints which led to the laundry room where I had hidden a special St. Patricks Day treat for the boys. And for their after school snacks, I made parfaits with vanilla pudding (colored, once again with green food coloring), crushed Oreo cookies, and cool whip. The day was a hit!
Hey imommies bloggers how’s this for KARMA, My entire life my favorite color has been green and the day me and my husband called in to city hall to get married we had o idea it was gonna be on St. Patrick’s Day, so now our anniversary every year is on St. Patrick’s Day… Go Figure Kool or What
[...] so imommies is having a contest for St. Patricks Day and you could win a free ipod shuffle! Well here is my [...]
Wow, what a fun contest! Here is my comment entry, an irish toast:
It is better to spend money like there’s no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there’s no money!
Also I made a post on my blog announcing the contest and I posted a couple of really great irish blessings:
http://hopefilledmom.com/index.php/may-the-good-lord-take-a-liking-to-you-but-not-too-soon/
This was so much fun, good “luck” to everyone!
God Bless,
Heather
http://hopefilledmom.com
My Birthday is St Patricks Day - 1970. This will be my first Birthday without my Mum. She died New Years Day in Austalia, quite suddenly and I wasn’t even able to go back to Aus for the funeral. I sure miss my Mum and my Birthday just won’t feel the same without her.
“May the road rise up to meet you;
May the wind always be at your back,
The sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow if His hand.”
This is my entry for the competition.
My maiden name is Irish, Coombes, in fact, there is a Castle Coombs in Ireland which my parents have visited. We always had green eggs and ham for breakfast, baked Irish soda bread and had corned beef and cabbage with green milk for dinner!
My name is Tara and my mother named me after Tara Hill in Ireland. The Hill of Tara, known as Temair in gaeilge, was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland – 142 kings are said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times. In ancient Irish religion and mythology Temair was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld. Saint Patrick is said to have come to Tara to confront the ancient religion of the pagans at its most powerful site.
St. Patrick confronted the most powerful man in Ireland Laoghaire, The High King of Tara as he knew that if he could gain his support that he would be safe to spread the word throughout Ireland. To get his attention Patrick and his followers lit a huge fire to mark the commencement of Spring. Tradition had it that no fire was to be lit until the Kings fire was complete, but Patrick defied this rule and courted the confrontation with the King.
The King rushed into action and travelled with the intention of making war on the holy delegation. Patrick calmed the King and with quiet composure impressed the King that he had no other intention than that of spreading the word of the Gospel. The King accepted the missionary, much to the dismay of the Druids who feared for their own power and position in the face of this new threat. They commanded that he make snow fall. Patrick declined to do so stating that this was Gods work. Immediately it began to snow, only stopping when Patrick blessed himself.
Still trying to convince the King of his religion Patrick grasped at some Shamrock growing on the ground. He explained that there was but one stem on the plant, but three branches of the leaf, representing the Belssed Trinity. The King was impressed with his sincerity and granted him permission to spread the word of his faith, although he did not convert to Christianity himself.
Patrick and his followers were free to spread their faith throughout Ireland and did so to great effect. He drove paganism (symbolised by the snake) from the lands of Eireann.
Cool eh?
St. Patrick is my patron saint. He was a good man who chased all of the snakes out of Ireland.
Recent studies from the American Heart Association revealed that the dark Irish stouts can be good for your heart. The antioxidants can help deter blood clots the same as asprin. Of course don’t drink too much. Cheers, and Happy St. Paddy’s Day
We have a little bit o’ the Irish in our home every night. You see, my husband sings “Over in Killarney” to our two children ever night before they go to sleep. Growing up, my mother-in-law, Helen, sang this song to my husband every night before he went to bed. It has become a special tradition in our home. Last year, doctors found cancer in my mother-in-law’s lung. She was diagnosed with endocrine cancer, which cannot be treated. For months, no one knew how much longer we would have her in our lives. We live across the country from her, so it was especially hard being so far away at this time of the “unknown”. During those hopeless and lonely months before we knew what the outcome would be, this song, “Over in Killarney”, gave us comfort and strength. It sounds so silly, just a “simple little ditty”, but those words and the sweet melody always reminded us that no matter what happened, “Helen, mom, Grandma” would always be in our sweet memories.
We loved corned beef and cabbage for st. patrick’s day! we always wear green for good luck and i always tell my kids and husband to “kiss me”…even though i am not irish!
I would like to include a poem by W. B. Yeats (1865 - 1939), the great Irish poet, dramatist, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. In this work, he declares his desire to be considered among the poets who have sweetened Ireland’s history with songs and rhymes.
To Ireland in the Coming Times
Know, that I would accounted be
True brother of a company
That sang, to sweeten Ireland’s wrong,
Ballad and story, rann and song;
Nor be I any less of them,
Because the red-rose-bordered hem
Of her, whose history began
Before God made the angelic clan,
Trails all about the written page.
When Time began to rant and rage
The measure of her flying feet
Made Ireland’s heart begin to beat;
And Time bade all his candles flare
To light a measure here and there;
And may the thoughts of Ireland brood
Upon a measured quietude.
Nor may I less be counted one
With Davis, Mangan, Ferguson,
Because, to him who ponders well,
My rhymes more than their rhyming tell
Of things discovered in the deep,
Where only body’s laid asleep.
For the elemental creatures go
About my table to and fro,
That hurry from unmeasured mind
To rant and rage in flood and wind;
Yet he who treads in measured ways
May surely barter gaze for gaze.
Man ever journeys on with them
After the red-rose-bordered hem.
Ah, faeries, dancing under the moon,
A Druid land, a Druid tune!
While still I may, I write for you
The love I lived, the dream I knew.
From our birthday, until we die,
Is but the winking of an eye;
And we, our singing and our love,
What measurer Time has lit above,
And all benighted things that go
About my table to and fro,
Are passing on to where may be,
In truth’s consuming ecstasy,
No place for love and dream at all;
For God goes by with white footfall.
I cast my heart into my rhymes,
That you, in the dim coming times,
May know how my heart went with them
After the red-rose-bordered hem.
Thank you so much for having the St. Patrick’s Day Contest. I always get excited and I keep checking my e-mail everyday!!!! Here is an Irish Prayer that I would like to share…..
May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
Please enter me into the contest.
Irish Funerals
When someone dies in Ireland it is usually tradition to have a wake house for up to two days before a burial, this is usually held within someone’s home and not a funeral parlor, seen in other counties. The ‘wake’ is to allow family and friends to meet up and pay their last respects to the recently departed and to celebrate a new beginning for the dead. It is a common Irish tradition that someone stands over the coffin of the dead throughout the two nights praying over the deceased, usually saying the rosary. On the day of the funeral its tradition that close family members carry the coffin to the Church for the funeral, or at least part of the way, with family and friends following behind.
May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
Great Irish epitaph:
Beneath this stone lies Murphy
They buried him today
He lived the life of Reilly
While Reilly was away
Though St. Patricks Day is an Irish Holiday and is celebrated almost everywhere The New York celebration is the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. The parade dates back to 1762, and in 2003 more than 150,000 marchers (bands, military and police groups, county associations, emigrant societies, social and cultural clubs etc.) participated.
I thought these poems and songs were too cute!
I’m a little leprechaun
Dressed in green
The tiniest man that you have ever seen.
If you ever catch me,
So it’s told,
I’ll give to you my pot of gold.
Five little leprechauns scurrying by my door,
One jumped away, then there were four.
Four little leprechauns climbing in my tree,
One hid in the green leaves, then there were three.
Three little leprechauns, just a busy few,
One went for a pot of gold, then there were two.
Two little leprechauns, having lots of fun,
One hopped over the rainbow, then there was one.
One little leprechaun, with all his work done.
He slipped off for a nap, then there were none.
Sung to the tune of “Skip to My Lou”
Let’s wear green and dance a jig,
Let’s wear green and dance a jig,
Let’s wear green and dance a jig,
On St. Patrick’s Day.
Let’s find a clover with four leaves,
Let’s find a clover with four leaves,
Let’s find a clover with four leaves,
On St. Patrick’s Day.
Let’s look for leprechauns on their way,
Let’s look for leprechauns on their way,
Let’s look for leprechauns on their way,
On St. Patrick’s Day.
Let’s search for gold at the rainbow’s end,
Let’s search for gold at the rainbow’s end,
Let’s search for gold at the rainbow’s end,
On St. Patrick’s Day.
I posted a blog about the contest and St. Patty’s Day. Here is the link
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog&pop=1&indicate=1‘
Thanks
First, let me say that St. Patricks Day will be my 24th wedding anniversay. Both me and my husband have birthdays on that fall on 17th’s, so we were also married on a 17th!!
With that said the following is a traditional Irish wedding vow:
By the power that Christ brought from heaven, mayst thou love me.
As the sun follows its course, mayst thou follow me.
As light to the eye, as bread to the hungry, as joy to the heart,
may thy presence be with me, oh one that I love,
’til death comes to part us asunder.
Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461.
this is such a fun contest. I posted it on my blog…..
http://www.thedayinthelifeofbekah.blogspot.com
My cousin Patrick always got to be first in line in grammar school and always first to hand out stuff in school on St Patrick’s Day, since he was Irish and his name was Patrick. His sons name is Connor and i’m sure he will get to do the same when he starts school, he’s 4. Just a little St Patrick’s day info.
I thought this was cute dance that Sea World did in honor of St. Patrick’s Day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsDvmQROMHQ
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Here are a couple of other things,too!
St. Patrick was a Christian missionary credited with converting Ireland from paganism to Christianity. He lived at the end of the 4th century
By the end of the 7th century, many legends had developed about him. One, of course, says he charmed all the snakes in Ireland and led them to the sea to drown. Another, probably the most popular, is that he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to unbelievers. This is probably why shamrocks, now Ireland’s national flower, are worn by the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.
“St. Patrick’s Breastplate”
Christ, be with me.
Christ before me, Christ behind me.
Christ is me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Christ on my right, Christ on my left.
Christ where I love, Christ where I sit, Christ where I rise.
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me.
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me.
Christ in every eye that sees me.
Christ in every ear that hears me.
The first Shamrock Shake was made in 1970 at McDonalds. Here is a commercial for the shake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOVKdvkVAqQ&feature=related
I loved Shamrock Shakes as a kid. They are very hard to find as not every McDonalds makes them.
I posted on my blog about the contest along with my little fun fact:
http://me-lace.blogspot.com/2008/03/imommies-ipods-and-shamrock-shakes.html
an irish fact: many years ago in ireland st.patricks day was considered a holy day and all of the pubs were not open for buisness and there were no parades or drinking
an irish tradition:on st.patricks day in ireland they eat ham and cabbage or bacon and cabbage and not corn beef and cabbage like americans think cornbeef is not an irish dish
a little irish humor:what do you call a irish man who knows how to control his wife? a bachelor
Irish Proverb
The English always credit the rest of us with the qualities they don’t need themselves.
Isn’t that how many of us think about others? We point out in others what we don’t feel is important for ourselves.
I am of Irish descent and carry the tradition on with my sons whose first and middle names are James McClain and Michael Riley. Being an older mother (had my FIRST child at 40) I have the unusual distinction of having 16 and 12 year old sons, and also having a grandmother, born on St. Patrick’s Day, who would have been 147 this year! She was born BEFORE the Civil War. I would love to have the I-Pod to stay current with my kids - at least electronically….
Interesting Irish fact: the Irish flag is three-colored. Green for the Catholic population; orange for the Protestant population and white for the hope that the two will be able to live in peace.
Interesting facts about the Irish alphabet
Traditionally, Irish uses only 18 letters:
5 vowels-a e i o u
13 consonants - b c d f g h l m n p r s t
The other letters - j k q v w x y z - are used in foreign words, mathematics, scientific terms, etc
Lordy, Please Don’t Ye Smite ‘em
‘Cause I Smiles When I Sight ‘em
I Laugh At The Gimerick
When I Reads A Limerick
I Only Cuss Because I Knows I Cain’t Write ‘em
Thank you for the fun contest!
Wow! Everyone is in for this prize! I had more fun reading everyone’s comments and blogs!
I for one am not Irish nor is my husband. When I was little, I remember my Mom would send us to the backyard to look in the “clover” bush. (little did I know back then, she was just happy that I was pulling weeds…” Anyhow, I would sit there for hours and hours….hoping to find a 4-leaf clover. Nothing but 3’s and even a few 2 leaf clover. I remember one year, I finally found a 4-leaf clover. My Mom put it on an index card and laminated it at her work for me. (she was and still is a teacher) To this day, although I was 7 or 8 years old…and now I am 32 years old, my Mom kept that index card and uses it as a bookmark in her Bible-readings. She says she is reminded of how “lucky” and blessed she has been through all her life.
I am now searching for another one…but w/ my 3 year old little girl this month. I hope to find one and get it laminated (at Kinko’s…) and be able to continue a one-time tradition!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone!!
despite all the Irish green, the traditional Irish wedding color is actually Blue!
Men are like bagpipes:
No sound comes from them intil their full.
Old Irish saying
Do not resent growing old, For many are denied the privilege.
Thanks
here is my post
http://www.mommymandy.com/2008/03/imommies-st-patricks-day-contest.html
Hi, What a wonderful contest! I have always wondered why everyone said they are a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Then, I thought I wonder how they celebrate when they are truly Irish in Ireland?! Traditionally, they attend church and wear a shamrock on their breast. Then, most families sit down for a large meal. What was funny is how they used to watch the parades on television that were here in the United States. Now, Ireland has their own parades! Also, it used to be law that the pubs be closed on St. Pat’s Day. Today, they are open to attract more
tourists to Ireland for this special day. Thanks,Cindi
One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.
The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick’s Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.
Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick’s Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring.
My son’s birthday is St. Patricks Day. He will be 15 this year. He loves it when we have our tradition birthday dinner of corned beef and cabbage. He eats the corned beef and I eat the cabbage.
Happy St iPodtrick’s Day!
What a way to spend your St. Patrick’s day
Loading Irish tunes on your new green iPod
Given away by the great iMommies St. Patrick’s Day Contest
Irish eyes will be smiling as the tunes will play
There is no blarney about it this will be the best
St. Patrick’s Day when I have a new green iPod I can play.
Thank you iMommies for the Irish fun
A new green iPod that I have won.
a Gaelic blessing:
Céad Míle Fáilte =
A Thousand Welcomes, a Gaelic blessing.
This sign is hanging above a door in my favorite Irish Pub, The Harp Inn in Costa Mesa, CA — former home away from home to the Irish inspired band The Fenians.
Sláinte!!
Cheers!!
The Chicago river is dyed green every year in celebration of St Patricks day
Quiet a site to see!
As a little girl, I told my mom I wanted to marry an Irishman, so I could have a little girl with red hair when I was a mommy. Years later, I found my Irishman at college! Strangely enough, he doesn’t have red hair! I’m still crossing my fingers for my little, Irish, red haired girl. We are planning on the luck of the Irish to help us out!
• In the United States, it’s customary to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. But in Ireland the color was long considered to be unlucky, says Bridget Haggerty, author of The Traditional Irish Wedding and the Irish Culture and Customs Web site.
As Haggerty explains, Irish folklore holds that green is the favorite color of the Good People (the proper name for faeries). They are likely to steal people, especially children, who wear too much of the color.
I have to say I’ve always LOVED ST Pat’s Day! My middle name was given to me from my grandma who was 100% Irish (Elizabeth McComb). My whole life, green was ALWAYS my favorite color. When I found out years ago that I was expecting my first child and would be due around March 28th, I was thrilled that I could do the whole nursey in green, instead of something like yellow, given the time of year it was (and, no, I never wanted to know the sex of any of my kids before they were born). Needless to say, I was thrilled when I started to go into labor on March 16th. So, March 17th, 1986, my first child, my daughter (and princess-LOL) was born!! She was 100% healthy, and I couldnt be happier!! Through the years, as she got older, we have become extremely close, its even safe to say that not only are we mother & daughter, we are best friends! My family isnt big on corned beef & cabbage, so on St Pats Day I usually make a dinner of stuffed cabbage and, of course, home-made soda bread! YUMMY!! So, to date, green is still my favorite color & my daughter & I are closer than ever! I guess the best way to end this post is to end it with my own lil limerick… so here it goes:
There once was a mother in waiting
Whose birth she was anticipating
With luck of the green
On March seventeen
The birth of her girl was a blessing!
Thank you Valerie (my daughter) for all the years of joy and happiness that you have given me! You are, was and always will be the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow!
http://kailasmommy.blogspot.com/2008/03/imommies-contest.html
What a fun contest!
My grandma was full-blood Irish, so we grew up with all the fun family traditions. We never had the “corned beef and cabbage” meal on St. Patrick’s day because that day was reserved for better food. Her reasoning was she could fix corned beef and cabbage any day since it was so cheap. I clearly remember understanding that it wasn’t necessarily that we had to wear green on St. Patrick’s day, it was the fact that you DID NOT wear orange. And, carrots are never found in Irish stew. I always thought that was funny growing up.
My favorite quote comes from my great-grandmother (100% Irish), who when asked by my mom if because she was born in England that made her English replied, “You can plant a rose amongst the weeds, but that doesn’t make it a weed.”
I love my ancestry. Thanks for doing this contest so more people are aware of the fun things we do to celebrate our heritage!
Good Luck Omens to Look for
on St. Patrick’s Day
1. You find a four-leaved clover while removing belly-button lint from your navel.
2. Green water is flowing uncontrollably from all water outlets in your home.
3. You notice a leprechaun’s bloody shoe in your dog’s mouth.
4. You hear an echoed voice saying “Manly, yes, but I like it too” while you’re showering.
5. You follow a rainbow to its end and find a pot of steamin’ hot Cheez Whiz.
6. During breakfast, you realize that Lucky Charms truly are “magically delicious.”
7. Someone has replaced the water in your fishtank with green beer, resulting in loud, drunken, unruly fish singing “Oh, Danny Boy” at the top of their gills.
8. You find a patch of four-leaved clovers growing in your sock drawer.
9. You receive junk mail addressed to O’Current Resident.
10. You have cornered a wet, shivering, frightened leprechaun in your laundry room and are taunting him, saying “Do you feel lucky… punk?”
I love those! Also, my sone is celebrating his 1st St. Paddy’s day and I got him a t-shirt that says “Mom’s Luccky Charm” :]
I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s entries. I’m sure you’ll have a tough time choosing. Here is mine:
My youngest daughter is now six, but when she was four she tended to repeat things she heard and would get them confused and completely mangled. It was usually pretty cute, but not so much this particular time.
One day in March while I was talking with a group of friends at church, my daughter happily (and loudly) announced that they would be celebrating Satan Patrick’s Day at preschool. There were some dropped jaws and I turned a bright shade of red - not green!
http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/shamrock.htm
“The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) — its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III’s troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. �The origins of the Blarney Stone’s magical properties aren’t clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. �It’s tough to reach the stone — it’s between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to stretch to their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support.”
Thought this was neat.
You asked for limericks so I thought I’d get information on where the term limerick actually came from and started.
Did you know:
Limericks - The History
Variants of the form of poetry referred to as Limerick poems can be traced back to the fourteenth century English history. Limericks were used in Nursery Rhymes and other poems for children. But as limericks were short, relatively easy to compose and bawdy or sexual in nature they were often repeated by beggars or the working classes in the British pubs and taverns of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventh centuries. The poets who created these limericks were therefore often drunkards! Limericks were also referred to as dirty.
Where does the term ‘Limerick’ come from?
The word derives from the Irish town of Limerick. Apparently a pub song or tavern chorus based on the refrain “Will you come up to Limerick?” where, of course, such bawdy songs or ‘Limericks’ were sung. (http://www.poetry-online.org/limericks.htm)
I hope I win
Here’s my soda bread recipe - messy to make, but so good warm with butter!
4 tbsp. butter, room temp
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. currants (optional)
1 egg
1 3/4 c. buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375. Work the butter into the flour with your fingers. Add sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt, still using your fingers. When it looks like coarse meal, beat the egg and buttermilk lightly together, then add into the mixture. (If you’re going to put in the currants, mix them into the flour mixture BEFORE you put in the milk/egg.) Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is blended and soft. Flour your hands and form the dough into a ball. Knead it for 3 minutes (until it’s smooth). Cut in half and form both halves into balls. Set them on a greased baking sheet and slightly flatten them, then use a SHARP floured knife to cut a little cross into the tops of both (this makes them split nicely when they bake). Bake for 35 minutes or until golden and crusty. Cool on a wire rack.
If you like, you can use raisins instead, but currants really are better in the bread.
You can also throw in 2 tbsp. caraway seeds - currants and caraway is the way to go if you’re making the bread for in the morning with butter. If you’re making it to go with Irish stew at dinner, it’s pretty good just plain.
Slainte!
“Anyone acquainted with Ireland knows that the morning of St. Patrick’s Day consists of the night of the 17th of March flavored strongly with the morning of the 18th.”
–Anonymous