How to Grow Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. Shamrocks, sometimes also referred to as "clover", aren't always easy to grow in the home.
A quick scan of Amazon's product reviews for Shamrock seeds will show that many people become frustrated when their seeds won't grow the way they expect them to, even when they follow the instructions on the packaging. Surely growing house plants should be a pleasure and not a hassle! The purpose of this guide is to help you to grow your shamrocks and to get the best results, including instructing you in which shamrocks you should purchase in order to ensure the highest likelihood that your plants will actually "take" and grow the way that you want them to. Be prepared for a little bit of a struggle, depending on the type of shamrock you choose to plant. How to Make Green Beer for St. Patrick's Day.
Leprechauns: Darling Irish Faerie or Evil Sprites that Haunt Irish Basements? Many Americans associate Leprechauns with St.
Patrick's Day. People dress up as the sprites and speak of the "luck of the Irish. " Leprechaun decorations, including garden gnomes as depicted on this page, start to appear in upcoming spring gardens on on hedges. It seems that we associate these mythical creatures with Ireland, bypassing many other myths and legends of Irish (and general Celtic) folklore. Because of the association with Ireland, they've taken up prominence in American celebrations of anything Irish. To a certain extent, this connection is understandable. Leprechauns, in folklore, aren't associated with luck, but instead with mischief and a genie-like ability to grant wishes -- if you find their pot of gold. While the associations aren't altogether false -- these are an Irish mythological creature with powers -- it also has to be said that the connection between a genie-like creature and St. Beautiful Celtic Music for St. Patrick's Day. While each of these four instruments makes a different sound, they are all, in essence, flutes.
They are played similarly to one another, though each takes different skills to learn. If you've been listening to the Irish Woman soundtrack for this page, you'll have heard the flutes in the background. My personal favorite of these instruments is the Ocarina, but I also play the traditional flute and can play a penny whistle. Their sound is sharp, clear, and high-pitched (even the tenor and bass instruments are generally higher than other instruments), and they make an excellent background to your Irish St. Patrick's Day music. The instrument (which should be) shown to the right is a traditional Irish wood flute, or fife (fyfe). St. Patrick: The Patron Saint who Converted the Irish to Christianity. St.
Patrick's life is shrouded in mystery, and most of what we believe ourselves to know about him is taken from letters he wrote to his followers. Much speculation exists as to where St. Patrick was born. Some resources indicate that he was born in Scotland, while others indicate that he was born in England in a town which is now part of Wales. It is believed that he was born some time in the fourth century C.E. probably around 385 C.E. His father was a Catholic deacon of noble Roman descent, his mother was closely related to a Catholic Saint, and his grandfather was also a member of the clergy. St. Patrick: The Patron Saint who Converted the Irish to Christianity. St. Patrick's Shamrock. Living in a very pagan Ireland, St.
Patrick was faced with a challenge. The people of this new country of his lacked the foundations that many Christians did in order to teach them to believe in the trinity and other aspects of the Catholic Church and its faith. St. Patrick had to teach to the Celtic people, whose beliefs varied greatly from what the Christian and Catholic churches taught. The saint hadn't always believed as his ancestors did in England, but his faith carried him through slavery and finally back to England, where he became a priest. Leprechaun Costumes for St. Patrick's Day. Your leprechaun costume starts with a hat.
This hat is basically essential to your St. Paddy's day costuming, even if you choose not to dress as a leprechaun, so choose one carefully. They come in two basic styles, the bower hat (below right) and the top hat (below bottom). The bowler hat has a more traditional feel than the top-hat, and comes in cheaper (and thus less expensive) versions because they are generally made of plastic.
Go Green for St. Patrick's Day. Beautiful Claddagh Jewelry for Irish Lovers. While the Claddagh can be used as a wedding or engagement ring for people of either gender, it you may also choose to purchase your own Claddagh ring.
After all, it is sometimes worn by singles to denote their single status! Claddagh rings offer a lot of choice in their appearance. Some have wider bands while others have narrow bands; some are inscribed and others aren't. You may like the look of the rings which include a celtic knot design along the band of the ring, or you may prefer something that focuses on the traditional heart, crown and hands design. Consider when purchasing your ring that they vary in price from surprisingly inexpensive (as little as $2.99 on Amazon) to quite expensive at about $700 (on Amazon). Some rings come with gemstones inserted into them for the heart. If purchasing a Claddagh ring for a girlfriend or boyfriend, please skip the stone unless you're absolutely certain that it suits your partner!