Keep calm and leprechaun

I wasn't going to blog about St. Patrick's Day (again) this year, but two things made me change my mind.

The first was this poster, "Keep Calm and Leprechaun," which I first saw on Facebook (and also comes in convenient t-shirt form).














The second was this moving rendition of "Danny Boy" sung (though I am not sure that is the correct term) by The Leprechaun Brothers (aka the Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker of Muppets fame).



Brings a tear to the eye, it does.

Wishing you all a safe, snake-free St. Patrick's Day.

You call that a Shamrock Shake?

What have you done to the Shamrock Shake, McDonald's?!

(Warning: to those of you on a diet or under the impression that green foods are healthy or were planning on actually consuming a McDonald's Shamrock Shake in the next two weeks, do not click on that link.)

Whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top?! And what's with the McCafé?! When did shamrocks become French? (Not that there are any shamrocks in the McDonald's Shamrock Shake, or anything wrong with being French, but....) For crying out loud, McDonald's. You would never see Uncle O'Grimacey gulping down such a frou-frou beverage (or me, for that matter).

Also, that tagline, "Want cool and minty?" Cool and minty?! Puh-lease. Hey, I know. Why not call it the McCafé Crème de Menthe and offer it on Bastille Day?! (Again, my apologies to the French.)

Better yet, chase the snakes (or former Starbucks employees) out of your marketing department, McDonald's, and bring back the original non-whipped-cream-and-maraschino-cherry-topped Shamrock Shake, and drop the McCafé.

Thank you. This has been a St. Patrick's Day public service announcement.

The true meaning of St. Patrick's Day

Growing up, I pretty much associated St. Patrick's Day with shamrock shakes, green carnations, and people drinking too much beer (and urinating on Madison Avenue).

When I got older, and became an adult, and moved to Chicago, I associated St. Patrick's Day with dying the Chicago River green, and drinking too much beer.

But last summer, after visiting the West Coast of Ireland, and seeing Croagh Patrick, the mountain where St. Patrick reputedly fasted for 40 days before casting all the snakes out of Ireland...















and the statue erected in honor of St. Patrick in the main square in Westport, Ireland...






















I realized that the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day was...






















An excuse to drink a pint (or two) of Guinness. (Or some other beer.)

Some things never change.

Wishing you all a Happy -- and safe -- St. Patrick's Day.

Time for shamrock shakes and green carnations

I have never been a fan of St. Patrick's Day, which has precious little to do with honoring St. Patrick, who was actually Welsh, and everything to do with getting royally pissed and being obnoxious, not exactly saintly qualities. However, the "holiday" (for lack of a better term) had two saving graces for me as a kid: Shamrock Shakes from McDonald's and green carnations.



(My memories of Shamrock Shakes involve Uncle O'Grimacey, but the only YouTube clips I could find featuring Grimace's Irish uncle -- saints preserve us -- were pretty grainy.)

As for the green carnations, admit it, you thought they were cool, too.

And they are kinda pretty, in a "ooo look at the pretty green flower," synthetic-y kind of way.

Every year, I would save my $1 allowance until I could buy one or two, and would wear or flaunt my pretty green carnation proudly -- while slurping down my Shamrock Shake. Ah... those were the days.

And then we got old and jaded, and traded green milkshakes for green beer and other forms of green alcohol (Grasshopper anyone?). Btw, for those of you interested in making your own green beer or other green-colored beverage in honor of St. Patrick's Day, check out this how-to article on DiY Life.

I also "discovered" other St. Patrick's Day "traditions," surely not practiced in St. Patrick's time, such as the annual green dyeing of the Chicago River in Chicago.

For some reason, this scene always brings to mind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Btw, for those of you who have always wanted to know how and why the city of Chicago turns the Chicago River green every year for St. Patrick's Day, check out GreenChicagoRiver.com. (FYI, they turned the Chicago River green on Saturday, March 14, this year.)

As for me, I no longer celebrate St. Patty's Day, though will be drinking a toast to me late departed Da, who died suddenly six years ago this St. Patrick's Day and was fondly known as "the Jewish Leprechaun."

Wishing you all a healthy and happy St. Patrick's Day...