St. Patrick's Day Research Paper

Holidays are something everyone celebrates, yet certain ones get more recognition than others. A considerable amount of people have at least heard of St. Patrick 's Day, but few can say that they go much further than pinching those who don 't wear green. In my family, however, St. Patrick 's Day is one of the few traditions we do actually celebrate. It is an event I look forward to every year and includes one of my favorite meals.

St. Patrick 's Day was originally a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland, Patrick. When the Irish came to America the traditional meal of pork and potatoes transformed into corned beef and cabbage because of the economic and segregation problems Irish people faced. Pork was the

Every year on March 17, my mom works from home so a combination of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, onions, and broth can slowly cook in a crock pot all day, the smells fusing into the walls. Later on she makes mashed potatoes and toasts one or two loaves of Irish soda bread. When St. Patrick 's Day is on a school day, I come home, stand in the middle of our living room, and inhale the aromas, letting them fill my heart with comfort. When it is time to eat, my sister and I build sandwiches, stacking nearly everything in between two pieces of soda bread. The sandwiches are so huge that we make a game of seeing who can eat without it collapsing. (I usually win because she attempts to hold onto the sides causing the meat and potatoes to come squirting out the back.) Whether our group consists of just four or has twelve, the meal ceaselessly proves to be enjoyable.

In my family, the menus for Christmas and Thanksgiving are never the same. However, St. Patrick 's Day is consistent. Sometimes, it is nice to be able to look forward to a certain delectable set of flavors as opposed to never knowing exactly how something will turn out. It is one of the few meals where my mom secures all of the credit. Plus, there are countless leftovers that make for at least three more outstanding meals. Even though we don 't get the day off or receive an incredible amount of presents on this holiday, St. Patrick 's Day will always remain a significant and delicious tradition in