If you plan on celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day this year, make sure you do so with traditional Irish foods.  Here’s a great recipes for Corned Beef and Cabbage that you can make this holiday!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce

Serving Size: 8               
Categories: Beef, Irish                            

Ingredients (Amount & Measure)
——–  ————  ——————————–
   1      Onion
   4      Cloves-whole
   4      pounds Corned beef
   2      Parsley sprigs
   8      Peppercorns-whole
   2      pounds of Cabbage
   1      cup Sour cream
   1      tablespoon Prepared horseradish

Work Time: 15 minutes   
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Directions:
Peel onion and stick with cloves.  Put corned beef, onion parsley and peppercorns in a large pot and cover with water.  Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.  Cut cabbage into wedges and core. Add to the pot, cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Combine sour cream with horseradish.  Serve the meat and cabbage with some of the broth ladled over all and the horseradish on the side.

Nutritional Value:
Per serving: 553 calories, 36g protein, 40g fat, 2808 mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 135 mg cholesterol.

*Exported from MasterCook*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Source: http://fp.enter.net

ForRent.com would like to bestow a wish on all our friends with the following Irish Blessing this Saint Patrick’s Day!

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

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.

Source: corsinet.com & ireland-information.com

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

In the United States there are many festivities to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It goes back to the first celebration in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737 where the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place on March 17th.

From the major cities like Boston or New York to your home town. Here is a brief list of some major festivals, parades and events happening in the U.S. Feel free to add your city’s celebrations to our list!

Savannah, Georgia
Savannah’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade usually takes place on March 17th, regardless if it’s during the work week. However for 2008, the parade will take place on Friday, March 14th to honor Holy week in the Catholic faith. The parade route changes each year but usually travels through Savannah’s Historic Park District and Bay Street. In additional to the parade, Savannah’s Waterfront Association has an annual celebration on Historic River Street which mimics Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street.

New York City, New York
According to Wikipedia, the New York parade has become the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world with more than 150,000 marchers and close to 2 million spectators on the street! The parade marches up 5th Avenue in Manhattan and ends by the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment.

Seattle, Washington
A unique fact I did not know is that Seattle and Galway, Ireland are sister cities given that Seattle has many Irish residents! The annual Irish Week Festival is enormous and includes activities such as Irish step dancing, food, historical and modern exhibitions and Gaelic lessons. It starts on March 14th and goes through the 17th.

Chicago, Illinois
The dyeing of the Chicago River has been a tradition for over 40 years. While many cities have tried to mimic it, none can get as true of a St. Patrick’s color as Chicago’s river can. This year the dyeing is to take place on March 15th. Chicago also has a St. Patrick’s Day parade that takes place on the same day.

San Francisco, California
On March 15th, San Francisco will have the 156th anniversary of its Saint Patrick’s Day parade. At the end of the race there will be a family festival with games, music and various other ‘green’ activities!

If you enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, there are many options to choose from! Regardless of where you are, cheers to you having a great time!

Source: Wikipedia.com

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching the theme of merchandise available in stores will be shamrocks. And when you see one this holiday season, you’re going to know why it’s the symbol for this holiday and what it means to the Irish people.

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and is also a registered trademark of the Republic of Ireland. Its shape is a three-leaf old white clover which is frequently used as a name and symbol for Irish pubs throughout the world. Many (especially those of non-Irish origin) confuse the four leaf clover with the Shamrock.  While the four leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three leaf shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a much greater significance.  The Holly Trinity is taught by Christians to represent the “three persons in one God”, the Father, Son and the Holly Spirit.  Traditionally the shamrock was used for it’s medical properties as well as being a popular motif in Victorian times, but today it is commonly associated to represent St. Patrick’s Day in decorations, face paintings, signs, etc.

When you’re thinking of images to decorate your Saint Patrick’s Day party this year, definitely use the shamrock. Not only for good luck but also for it’s meaning & representation to the Irish.

Source: wikipedia.com

We all know to wear green on St. Patty’s day or else you’ll get pinched! But do you know who the day actually celebrates? Do you know who Saint Patrick was and why he is remembered? If you’re like me and don’t know or simply want to read more on Irish culture, read on!

The holiday to commemorate St. Patrick takes place on March 17^th, the date on which Patrick is said to have died. He was taken into slavery by Irish Raiders and escaped after six years of captivity. Guided by visions from God, Patrick began religious training and returned to Ireland after his ordination to be a priest. Saint Patrick was known for bringing Christianity to Ireland so the Irish had a feast to honor him and from there the holiday has emerged. To many Irishmen this holiday is a religious one to memorialize St. Patrick and to others it is a day to celebrate their heritage and all things Irish. Originally March 17^th was a holiday in Ireland where all pubs were required to close, however in 1995 the Irish government decided that this would be a good day for tourism and a way to showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Today, especially in North America, there are many celebrations all over the world such as parades & festival, wearing green, eating Irish food and/or green foods and drinking is how’s it’s celebrated. The symbols of this holiday are usually leprechauns and shamrocks.

So this St. Patrick’s Day when you put on your green clothing and shamrock head bands, remember Saint Patrick and all he had done for Ireland.

“May good luck be your friend in whatever you do and

may trouble be always a stranger to you.”

-Irish Blessing

Source: History Channel

Christmas is said to be the most highly anticipated and marketed holiday in the Western world. The name means ‘Christ’s mass’ and is derived from Middle English (Christemasse) and Old English (Cristes moesse). And as many of you know, it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Everyone around the world celebrates Christmas differently. The most popular traditions are those we practice in America involving gift giving and the figure of Santa Claus. Christmas Day takes place on December 25^th and Christmas Eve precedes it (December 24^th).

Most of the traditions with decorating for Christmas include Nativity scenes, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, wreaths, mistletoes, angles, candy canes, stockings and bells. The Nativity scene refers to Jesus Christ’s birth to the Virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem. Children usually reenact the story in plays at church or school and traditionally include the Three Wise Men. The popular image of Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Pere Noel) that we recognize today was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast.

And as many of you are probably aware; Christmas is a huge economic stimulus for many nations. Sales increase dramatically because of gifts, decorations and supplies being purchased. In the US, the Christmas season typically starts on Black Friday (Day after Thanksgiving), though it’s not unusual to see retail stores selling Christmas items as early as October!

Though the monetary gifts are what everyone portrays Christmas is about, to me, Christmas is more than just a commercial holiday. It’s about family and traditions. It’s about the promotion of goodwill and peace towards men. Being with the ones you love to celebrate another year. That’s what the spirit of Christmas means. I could forgo the electrical appliance, name brand clothing or costume jewelry. Being with my friends and family and sharing the magic of Christmas with them is what it’s all about!