I do believe that from now on, March will officially be the most festive month of my year.
Saint Patrick’s Day was always a big deal in my family. My mother is about 98% Dutch, but when she married an Irishman in 1978, she saw the opportunity for a new party tradition. There are countless pictures of me in my earliest years, sporting green ribbons and sweaters and hoisting cups of green soda.
I love those memories. They laid the foundation for a deeply rooted love of my Irish heritage. The celebrations evolved over the years, but one way or another, Saint Pat’s was commemorated as only a pack of Euro-mut American Protestants could mark an ancient Saint’s Day.