Our family has a few silly traditions for this Irish holiday.
Top 'o the Mornin' to ya!
Tis the time of year for the wearing' 'o the green, planting true Irish shamrocks, eating Irish foods like Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, colcannon (cabbage cooked with mashed potatoes) and more. People enjoy dressing up in leprechon hats and gathering in pubs serving green beer and Guinness, which is too dark to dye any color.
In our area, a Irish-owned restaurant is renowned for serving free green ice cream to all who visit, giving out green balloons, and doing free face-painting for children. This has turned into a sort of tradition with our wee-bit Irish family and our friends. Irish music is played and centerpieces are real russet potatoes with tiny Ireland flags, little "gold" nuggets and shamrock confetti.
This is probably not very traditionally Irish, but it is fun. Whatever a family does together on a consistant basis becomes a family tradition, I suppose. We also do the "wear green or get pinched" silliness. In our house, you had better wear green to bed, or you will be pinched awake!
Well, whatever your family does on this fun holiday, we wish you all the best. Here is an Irish saying you can toss out to the family or use as a dinner toast:
May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
~Irish Blessing
All good things be yours,
Janienne
(thank you to the quotegarden.com for the quote)
