~FUN FACTS ABOUT ST.PATRICKS DAY~ In America, Saint Patrick's Day is a basically a time to wear green and celebrate. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest held in New York City.

Green is associated with Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock~ The shamrock is one of the most popular symbols associated with Saint Patrick's Day. According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock in Ireland to explain the Trinity, a basic principle of the Catholic faith. The word shamrock comes from the Gaelic word seamrog, which means "trefoil" or "little clover". The shamrock is the national flower of Ireland (worn on men's hats on St. Patrick's Day). It appears on the coat of arms of Great Britain along with the thistle and the rose, the national flowers of England and Scotland. There is a town named Shamrock in Florida, where people send letters to be postmarked. The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle Tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. The name leprechaun is derived from the old Irish word luchorpan which means "little body." A leprechaun is a fairy taking the appearance of a miniature old man. They are known to live in remote places. Leprechauns are solitary creatures and spend their time making shoes and brogues. If you hear the sound of his hammer when he is at work you know you have found him. All leprechauns possess a hidden pot of gold. If you are fortunate enough to capture a leprechaun, he might reveal the location of his gold to escape. But, keep your eye on the leprechaun. If you look away, just for a moment, he will vanish.

Little People Cookies 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 (3 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix 1 1/3 cups baking mix 1 egg 1 tablespoon white sugar Directions 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheet. 2 Cream together the butter or margarine and the pudding mix. Blend in the baking mix, egg and sugar and mix well. 3 On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 3/8 inch thickness and cut into cookies with a shamrock cookie cutter. 4 Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Let cookies cool on rack. Frost with green colored icing. LUCKY PUDDING Ingredients~ Vanilla pudding mix Green food coloring Preparation~ Prepare pudding. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring. Allow children to stir. The pudding "magically" turns green. MAGIC MILK Ingredients : Milk~green food coloring~vanilla~ Preparation ~ Add a drop of green food coloring into an empty glass. Add milk. The milk magically turns green! You can add 1 T vanilla for added flavor. ST.PATRICKS DAY RECIPES~ BLARNEY STONE COOKIES IRISH POTATOE CANDY

ST.PATRICKS DAY BOOKS TO READ~ Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola Lucky O'Leprechaun Jan Dillon Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk An Irish Tale by Gerald McDermott The Leprechaun in the Basement by Kathy Tucker, John Sandford (Illustrator) Jack and the Leprechaun by Ivan Robertson, Katy Braytun (Illustrator)

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