You enter a secluded house on a hill surrounded by tall trees. You hear wind chimes and the faint sound of Irish folk songs. “Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.” You see cheesy leprechaun memorabilia in every room. You notice the faint scent of corned beef and cabbage. Welcome to the mysterious realm of St. Patrick’s Day at my grandma’s house.
You see, the funny thing is, we’re not that Irish. Actual Irish immigrants date back several generations in my family. Yet I suppose the Irish pride is overwhelming enough that this has become one of the few holidays we consistently celebrate with an annual sit-down dinner. It’s also one of the few nights of the year when I realize how few green articles of clothing I own.
Every St. Patrick’s Day at my grandma’s begins with some kind of niche Irish history trivia (which wavers in accuracy from year to year). Typically, this will devolve into a debate about whether a factual historical event occurred as Google claims or not. I always remember the stuff about the snakes in Ireland. We then play some random games, like throwing some ping pong balls into a green leprechaun hat. Do any of these have anything to do with Irish tradition? I don’t know, but they’re our tradition, which basically makes them an Irish tradition when you think about it.
The main course each year is always corned beef and cabbage, surrounded by potatoes and other veggies. I have to be honest, I used to despise this dish, but I’ve grown pretty fond of it over the past few years in a Stockholm syndrome kind of way. After dinner is the most infamous tradition at Grandma’s St. Patrick’s Day dinners: the chocolate tasting. This event used to be a sort of test of strength, as repeatedly chalky or unfavorably spicy chocolates would make contact with your taste buds. In recent years, this event has mellowed out and typically features a variety of fun, flavorful chocolate treats recently accumulated by my grandma. It can get pretty competitive as I try to outwit my parents and sister, trying to identify specific flavors in the mystery chocolate before they can. Again, what does any of this have to do with Ireland or St. Patrick’s Day? Not sure! But it doesn’t matter! The chocolate tasting is the funniest, most ridiculous, and most memorable tradition we have, and it’s a staple of St. Patrick’s Day. While other people look forward to leprechauns and four-leafed clovers, I pray Grandma didn’t pick out a jalapeno pepper chocolate for this year’s tasting!
I have numerous wacky memories from the shenanigans held at these events. Maybe the shenanigans are meant to represent mischief? Like leprechauns? Overall, yearly meetups at Grandma’s house for St. Patrick’s Day dinner turn an otherwise lackluster holiday into a major family tradition for us.