St. Patrick's Day Decor

It's almost time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! I come from Irish heritage, and it really means something to me. I have always been in awe of the young Roman man from the 5th century, who was renamed Patrick. He was kidnapped from his home in Britain at age sixteen and sold into slavery in Ireland. After 6 years he escaped and returned home. In captivity he had heard the voice of God and was determined to become a priest, and later bishop, so that he could do what..? Return to the land of his captors so that he could lead them to Christ. Ireland then was a land of Druids and paganism, including human sacrifice. Patrick endured violence, threats of death, and capture. Personally, he battled feeling of inadequacy and fits of temper. He was not the first Christian to try to bring his faith to the island, but is remembered because he was the one who succeeded. Through patience and, I believe, the native peoples' realization that if he could love the very ones who mistreated him, then he truly tried to live what he preached. If he could do that, then there must be love and mercy in the God that Patrick served. Seeing this led an entire land of people out of darkness. An amazing and true story, and well worth celebrating each year, Irish or not!

 On to fun decorations! For my table I use mushrooms that I made (all the polka-dot ones) and some I bought, plus adorable little gnomes that I found at Hobby Lobby one year. No, they aren't leprechauns, but I imagine Ireland as a land of fairies, gnomes, trolls, and more. I don't know why leprechauns should have all the glory at St Patrick's, pot of gold or not!

Have you ever read the children's book d' Aulaires' Trolls? If not, you should. My dear Aunt Jane gave it to me years ago and it explains all sorts of magical creatures, including trolls and mountain giants. It's a wonderful book for all ages. My gnomes' swishy tails with the bottle-brush puff at the end make me think of this book...

 I have up my burlap banner with glitter shamrocks, plus my shamrock lights in the window. You can't have too much good luck, you know.

 The Victrola is covered with a lovely shamrock embroidered cloth that was my Great-aunt Add's. The milk glass compote is filled with plastic coins- they have a four leaf clover on one side and the words Good Luck on the other. The leprechaun is a vintage one my moma found for me years ago.

 Mistah Pig is wearing the green.

 Fluffy is wearing the headband with green braids that I sometimes wear for the holiday.

 Squeaky is in his leprechaun hat and looking very dapper. He much prefers pots of nuts over gold.

 My occasion tree, decked out...

 At the very top is this blessing that my Great-aunt Jessie got in Dublin, Ireland, on one of her trips. She was the one who also brought home our tartan from Scotland that I use at Christmas.

 The felt leprechauns were pins that my Great Granny had.

 And then there are the ornaments that my boys made through the years. They never fail to make me smile!

Under the tree are some antique postcards that I love. The card below is a vintage Valentine, but its lovely greens and muted blues are perfect for St Patrick's Day.

 Below are some pictures from last year. Here is the prerequisite pistachio pudding. This has been a tradition since I was small, and we always have it, even when I make several other desserts. You don't mess with tradition.

 Last year I did a delicious fresh strawberry limeade and froze strawberries and lime wedges in a ring of green tinted water. A bowl of punch is always festive!

 I set the table with a mishmash of all sorts of vintage plates and trays in shades of green.

 

The table was set for the whole family, my folks as well as the hubby's. The green goblets were a dollar at the Dollar Tree. I collected them over time until I had a set of twelve.

 I'm not sure how I am setting the table this year, or what is for dessert. But two immutable things are these- I am making homemade corned beef and the National dish of Ireland, colcannon. I use an old recipe that my mother-in-law gave me for the beef. Corned beef takes three weeks of brining (turning twice a week), then a day in a separate marinade. The next day it is basted and cooked for hours till fork tender, then refrigerated overnight to meld the flavors. And FINALLY, three weeks and three days later, you heat and serve it. 

Colcannon is a beautiful amalgamation of pan fried/sauteed cabbage in butter with leeks, green onions, and thyme. You stir this into a pot of mashed taters that are well seasoned and loosened with lots of cream. This all goes into a giant baking dish to bake. This is probably a perversion of any real sort of colcannon served in Ireland, and I'm sorry if it causes any hackles to raise. This is basically the recipe that I found and tweaked a bit (is here where I say that I top it with tons of shredded cheddar cheese to melt and brown, or will the hissing and booing be too much?!). All I can say is that it is an all-time fav with my family. I make it again in December for my pop's birthday and that is it. It's one of those kind of dishes that I make sparingly and the kids slather about all year long ;).

What I do know is there will be lots of green about and I have the stickers for my name tags, some mustaches to liven things up, and the two braids that I usually clip in my hair. I'm getting there...

My boys will tell you that I go to bed in green the night before St Pat's so I am not caught unawares, and that I have been known to pinch naked people in the shower since they won't be in their green. They call it cheating; I call it strategic! How do you celebrate the holiday? Even if you just sprinkle some green sugar over cookies, you should get into the spirit. And while you're at it, tell someone who the holiday is really about!