5 Ways to Have a Shamrockin’ St. Patrick’s Day

I had never heard of St. Patrick’s Day until after several years after I moved to the USA from the Dominican Republic. The St. Patrick’s Day celebration was very confusing to me and it was a bit of cultural shock, but then I started learning about how St. Patrick’s Day is really a time to celebrate the life of St. Patrick, it started to make a bit more sense to me.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland who helped introduce Ireland to Christianity. This video, by Catholic Central, is really eye-opening, if you’ve never heard the story:

I have never really celebrated St. Patrick’s day in the cultural sense, but I am fascinated by his life and how he wanted to bless his enemies and teach them, and his life motto was centered on Christ.

The first time I went to a St. Patrick’s Day parade, I didn’t wear anything green and I felt out of place. I didn’t really know. I went with my great friend, Judith Jones, whom I call “my American mom.” She’s one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever met and she invited my daughters and I to enjoy the parade with her family on Fifth Avenue, back when we lived in Naples, Florida.

Her grandson, Will, was visiting for Spring Break, and everyone was having fun with the fact that he was only 11 years old and was so much taller than me! We made so many memories and had such a great time! 

In the spirit of St. Patrick, I would like to know your favorite story and your St. Patrick’s Day traditions. I’m also sharing a wonderful downloadable PDF resource from Catholic Central, teaching you “5 Ways to Have a Shamrockin’ St. Patrick’s Day.”

Download it now for some fun ways you can celebrate the Shamrockin-est holiday of all!

I’m also hosting an awesome St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway! One winner has the chance to win this wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day FeastKit:

• 1 Bamboo Cheese Board with slide out drawer
• 4  Stainless steel cutting and serving knives

…and more!

The giveaway winner will be selected randomly and all entries will be verified. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited and only one winner per household. Winner must be 18 years of age. Winner must supply a physical shipping address in the contiguous United States, legal name and phone number within 48 hours – failure to to comply will result in drawing of a new random winner, as prize will be considered forfeited. Prize will be fulfilled by an agency associated with Catholic Central.

How do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Share your best tips in the comments below and use #CatholicCentral and online to keep the conversation going and to learn more about what it means to be Catholic and answers about the Catholic faith.

[ela]