PSA: This was supposed to be posted near Saint Patrick’s Day but somehow ended up in my drafts instead of my posted. None the less enjoy this silly blog about a tasty, green treat.
If you are like me, you get excited around the end of February/beginning of March for shamrock shake season at McDonalds, some of us like my friend Jessica even mark our calendars for the day the shamrock shake became available this year. But why are shamrock shakes a thing? Why not call them a mint shake and serve it year round?
I decided to do my sixth and final blog post about Saint Patrick’s Day after realizing I didn’t know much about it besides that it was a day people wore green and got drunk. So I did some research, first about Saint Patrick’s Day in general and second about special foods eaten on Saint Patrick’s Day. Shamrock shakes are titled so because they are offered around St. Patrick’s Day, this is also why they are green! Saint Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated by the irish/individuals of irish descent and followers of the Christian faith. The Feast of Saint Patrick is celebrated each year on March seventeenth in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. After converting the people of Ireland to Chrisitanity and establishing monasteries, churches, and schools, he died on March 17th, 461. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica).
Today, people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with special foods like corned beef, cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and irish soda bread. (Our Best St. Patrick’s Day…). Shepherd’s pie is a meat pie with carrots and peas topped with a mashed potato crust. Irish soda bread is served on the side of a variety of dishes. What makes irish soda bread special is that it is made with sodium bicarbonate as the leavening agent instead of yeast which is what is traditionally used when making bread. Celebrators also celebrate by wearing green from “head to toe”, watching a Saint Patrick’s Day parade, and drinking beer. Saint Patrick used the three leaf clover or shamrock to symbolize the holy trinity, which features three parts, the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
Sources:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Patrick’s Day.” Encyclopædia Britannica,
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 Feb. 2020, www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day.“Our Best St. Patrick’s Day Recipes.” Food Network, Television Food Network, 2020, www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/photos/favorite-st-patricks-day-recipes.
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