My dad emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in the 1950's. He was one of 13 children, so we have numerous relatives in Ireland, as well as England, Australia and even Malaysia. I have about 75 first cousins on his side of the family alone.
St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. Oddly enough, my dad had never heard of corned beef and cabbage as a traditional St. Paddy's Day meal until he came to the states.
When my kids were little, we had fun with the holiday, dying their apple juice green and serving other "green" foods. We also made Leprechaun traps the day before and left them out, only to find little footprints leading away from the trap. Somehow, they always escaped, but they often left a gold coin or two behind.
What fun we had with a bottle of green food color and an old shoebox and some string. It really is the simple things in life that are the best!
