Don't Pinch Me!

 

My daughter and I have assembled the leprechaun trap in her playroom.  The green clothing is picked out for tomorrow.  And the green food coloring is sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting to be added to the morning's glass of milk.  Yet, I still don't know what St. Patrick's Day is, why we celebrate, and why on earth we get pinched if we don't wear green.

 

It's hard these days to know more than my kid, even if she is only in second grade.  I seem to lose brain cells everytime I nurse the baby. So, I did a bit of research on the subject, and I'll be able to impress my kid on the 17th, with all of my fascinating facts.

 

Here's the Cliff Note's version (are those things still around?), in case you are asked some burning St. Patrick's Day questions on the drive to school:

 

 

 

Who:  St. Patrick was a patron saint, who traveled through Ireland setting up monasteries, schools, and churches, for over 30 years. 

What: St. Patrick's Day was originally a Catholic holy day, but has since evolved into a secular holiday with parades, chocolate coins, and beer drinking (uh, feel free to leave out that little tidbit).

Where:  The holiday began in America in 1737, when it was first celebrated in Boston.

When:  We celebrate the holiday on March 17th, the day St. Patrick died.

Why:  People wear green as a tribute to Ireland, the Emerald Isle. Another symbol of the holiday is the shamrock, which St. Patrick supposedly used to explain the Trinity:  the three leaves of the shamrock represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity.  It has been suggested that St. Patrick's Day has become so popular in the U.S. because it occurs a few days before the first day of spring.

 

Interesting. But, I still don't know why we gleefully pinch those who forget to wear green. Nothing to do with the saint, I'm sure.  

 

After conducting my research, I realize that my daughter probably won't give a toot.  She's just fascinated by the leprechaun's apparent escape from the trap each year, and wants to know if she can eat her chocolate coin before lunch.

 

And now I must go and make a tiny mess in the playroom, as if mischievous leprechauns were playing wildly and engaged in pranks.  My kid informed me that this is something she expects to find when she awakens in the morning, because the leprechauns also make a mess at her school. 

 

Oh, what we moms won't do to perpetuate the fantasies of young innocent minds.

 

 

Comments

[Liza767]

you can pinch me i not wearing green lol

[Melissa]

You're a good Mommy. I just made my kids wear green and didn't bother to tell them why. When they asked I just said that "We're Irish and it's some kind of Irish holiday that I don't understand. And if you don't, people pinch you." They were happy to do it for fear of being pinched by random strangers.

Guess I didn't put a lot of effort into this one. ;o)

[Sandy]

I am a paraeducator at an elementary school & have been messing up my classroom for over 25 years. Now I also do some leprechaun pranks before school for my grandchildren whom I get ready & take with me to school everyday. I almost got caught this morning making the toilet bowl green when my granddaughter, who is normally a very sound sleeper & hard to wake up in the mornings, arose early to see if the leprechauns had been there yet. Last year I broke my leg & knee in a bad fall retrieving a Shamrock decoration from the ceiling in my classroom while standing on a table that collapsed. I finally returned to work on January 4th this year. I was almost afraid to be a leprechaun again this year but decided I couldn't let the kids down. They get very excited.