I grew up with a mother who celebrated her Irish background. She gave us green milk on St. Patrick’s Day and cupcakes with green frosting. Those were the best parts of our St. Patrick’s Day traditions. The milk with green food coloring was mostly for show—it didn’t taste any different than regular milk. But it did go well with cupcakes.
Dinner on St. Patrick’s Day consisted of corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage and/or carrots. I hated both cabbage and cooked carrots. I managed to choke down the corned beef and potatoes, then tried to hide the carrots and/or cabbage under a scrap of food. But my mother saw through my subterfuge.
But she never taught me about Irish soda bread. I had to learn about that on my own just a few years ago. Now I make it frequently.
What Irish traditions did you follow on St. Patrick’s Day?
Theresa is the award-winning author of historical fiction about settling the American West. Before she turned to writing, Theresa was an attorney, mediator, and human resources executive.
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