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Join the Fun: St. Patrick’s Day Is Almost Here!

Sharing a Letter from our Chairman & CEO

Simply Chocolate

Sent on 12 March 2023 02:01 PM

Every year on March 17, all of us claim to be at least part Irish. We celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, by wearing green, drinking green beer, admiring shamrocks, attending festive parades and parties, and sharing our favorite limericks and jokes.

The festivities center on the life of a fifth-century man in Roman Britain who, among other things, was kidnapped by Irish pirates as a teenager, escaped, and eventually returned to Ireland to spread Christianity and rid the country of snakes. By the time he died in 465 AD, he had established monasteries and churches throughout the country.

In modern times, St. Patricks Day has taken on a life of its own. The parades and green-tinged citywide celebrations first became popular outside Ireland in the 1700s, led by a huge population of Irish immigrants who missed the traditions of their homeland. And now its a worldwide celebration, from Chicago to Montreal to Sydney, Australia, and even the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat.

But how did the holiday gain meaning for those who dont have any ties to the Emerald Isle? Simple: Its a reason to have some fun and celebrate with others.

Our love of St. Patricks Day

Our passion for St. Patricks Day stems from our Irish heritage. The McCann family traces its roots to Ireland as youve might have guessed from our surname. According to genealogists, McCann is an anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Cana, which translates to wolf cub.

Theres another reason for our celebrations, and it helps to explain why others partake in the festivities. St. Patricks Day is a celebration of spring, which arrives just three days later this year. Its an opportunity for the entire community to cheer natures upcoming renewal and the return of warmer days.

Many of us have had a rough winter, particularly those on the West Coast of late. As spring and the promise of warmer and drier days near, St. Patricks Day represents a time for our communities to reconnnect outside of our homes. Just as Labor Day is a last chance before we bundle up for the winter, St. Patricks Day is our first chance to re-emerge.

This year, the brands of 1-800-Flowers.com have been counting down the days to St. Patricks Day since March 1. In addition to giveaways and fun family activities, you can also attend a very special Alices Table demo and enjoy our very own playlist of Irish music thatll get you in the spirit for all your St. Patricks Day festivities.

There are still five days of festivities ahead! Be sure to watch our emails, social posts, and websites every day for new activities to enjoy with friends, families, and all your favorite leprechauns.

As part of the countdown, we invited Celebrations Pulse readers to submit original limericks to enter our random drawing for a pair of tickets to the popular Irish band Dropkick Murphys. As usual, we were astounded by the communitys creativity. Here are a few of our favorites:

As St. Patricks Day draws ever near,
Were counting down with lots of cheer,
With leprechauns and shamrocks.
And pots of gold that truly rock,
The celebrations already here!

There once were two bros named McCann,
Whose flowers were truly in demand.
Theyd sell them all day,
In a colorful array,
Their bouquets were simply grand!

And we should add that our pears, gourmet food, cookies, and seafood are pretty grand, too!

If you live in the Boston area, theres still time to submit a limerick for a chance to win tickets to see Dropkick Murphys on March 16 at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. If youre not in Boston, were also giving away tickets to the livestream of their St. Patricks Day show for you to enjoy. Please submit your entries no later than noon ET on Monday, March 13.

Need help with writing a limerick? Check out this article from the poets at 1-800-Flowers.com!

Our St. Patricks Day traditions

The McCann family has several St. Patricks Day traditions. For Jim, the day always starts with a friend who sends out a text message at the crack of dawn on March 17. Top O the mornin to ye! it reads.

Some of my friends still dont know that St. Patricks Day is like Christmas; its always on the same day every year, March 17, so its my way of reminding them, Jims friend says. Ive been doing this for years, and by now they know that I expect them to respond the same way, And the balance of the day to you.

Jims wife Marylou also gets into the act with her famous Irish soda bread. Its her own special recipe that leaves out some key ingredients of traditional soda bread. (She realized her mistake the first time, but the result was surprisingly so good that Jim and the rest of the family encouraged her to change nothing in future years.)

Marylou also makes one of Jims favorite meals: traditional corned beef and cabbage. Its a steadfast family tradition. We were surprised to learn that its an American innovation. In Ireland, people more generally center the holiday meal on bacon or ham. Regardless, both the soda bread and the meal test Jims willpower. He says that all the food and drink is like the Irish Thanksgiving minus the football games, but with parades!

We love a parade

One of Chriss favorite traditions is marching with his alma mater, Marist College, in New York Citys annual St. Patricks Day Parade. Last year, Jim was afforded a perfect view from the steps of St. Patricks Cathedral as a guest of Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Its a memory hell never forget!

The New York parade is one of the oldest in the country (the oldest reportedly took place in 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida), with the first one being held way back in 1762.

The event, which marches up Fifth Avenue, typically has nearly 150,000 participants, and it has drawn as many as three million spectators many of whom find plenty of post-parade activities all around the Big Apple.

Even if youre not in New York, theres likely a parade in a city near you. Check out this list to find one near you.

L Fhile Pdraig sona duit! Or, as we Americans might say, Happy St. Patricks Day!

Its not every day you meet a long lost relative and find out hes also in the agriculture business!

Kevin McCann reached out to Jim over LinkedIn recently due to the shared family name and similar line of work. Kevin operates the Armagh, Northern Ireland-based family farm P. McCann & Sons, where his family has grown fresh fruit for three generations.

While they cant be 100% certain theyre related, they assume theres some connection, somewhere way back.

Along with learning about the family name and the innovation and sustainability P. McCann & Sons is bringing to Ireland, Kevin and Jim discuss Irish culture, politics, and the opportunities that working in agricultural fields have created in our lives.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and please share your thoughts at .

Text Summary Of This Email

Sharing a Letter from our Chairman & CEO

Simply Chocolate

celebrations pulse

The festivities center on the life of a fifth-century man in Roman Britain who, among other things, was kidnapped by Irish pirates as a teenager, escaped, and eventually returned to Ireland to spread Christianity and rid the country of snakes. By the time he died in 465 AD, he had established monasteries and churches throughout the country.

In modern times, St. Patricks Day has taken on a life of its own. The parades and green-tinged citywide celebrations first became popular outside Ireland in the 1700s, led by a huge population of Irish immigrants who missed the traditions of their homeland. And now its a worldwide celebration, from Chicago to Montreal to Sydney, Australia, and even the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat.

But how did the holiday gain meaning for those who dont have any ties to the Emerald Isle? Simple: Its a reason to have some fun and celebrate with others.

Our love of St. Patricks Day

Our passion for St. Patricks Day stems from our Irish heritage. The McCann family traces its roots to Ireland as youve might have guessed from our surname. According to genealogists, McCann is an anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Cana, which translates to wolf cub.

Theres another reason for our celebrations, and it helps to explain why others partake in the festivities. St. Patricks Day is a celebration of spring, which arrives just three days later this year. Its an opportunity for the entire community to cheer natures upcoming renewal and the return of warmer days.

Many of us have had a rough winter, particularly those on the West Coast of late. As spring and the promise of warmer and drier days near, St. Patricks Day represents a time for our communities to reconnnect outside of our homes. Just as Labor Day is a last chance before we bundle up for the winter, St. Patricks Day is our first chance to re-emerge.

playlist of Irish music

thatll get you in the spirit for all your St. Patricks Day festivities.

There are still five days of festivities ahead! Be sure to watch our emails, social posts, and websites every day for new activities to enjoy with friends, families, and all your favorite leprechauns.

As part of the countdown, we invited Celebrations Pulse readers to submit original limericks to enter our random drawing for a pair of tickets to the popular Irish band Dropkick Murphys. As usual, we were astounded by the communitys creativity. Here are a few of our favorites:

As St. Patricks Day draws ever near,

Were counting down with lots of cheer,

With leprechauns and shamrocks.

And pots of gold that truly rock,

The celebrations already here!

There once were two bros named McCann,

Whose flowers were truly in demand.

Theyd sell them all day,

In a colorful array,

Their bouquets were simply grand!

And we should add that our pears, gourmet food, cookies, and

seafood are pretty grand, too!

If you live in the Boston area, theres still time to submit a limerick for a chance to win tickets to see Dropkick Murphys on March 16 at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. If youre not in Boston, were also giving away tickets to the livestream of their St. Patricks Day show for you to enjoy. Please submit your entries no later than noon ET on Monday, March 13.

Need help with writing a limerick? Check out this article from the poets at 1-800-Flowers.com!

Our St. Patricks Day traditions

The McCann family has several St. Patricks Day traditions. For Jim, the day always starts with a friend who sends out a text message at the crack of dawn on March 17. Top O the mornin to ye! it reads.

Some of my friends still dont know that St. Patricks Day is like Christmas; its always on the same day every year, March 17, so its my way of reminding them, Jims friend says. Ive been doing this for years, and by now they know that I expect them to respond the same way, And the balance of the day to you.

Jims wife Marylou also gets into the act with her famous Irish soda bread. Its her own special recipe that leaves out some key ingredients of traditional soda bread. (She realized her mistake the first time, but the result was surprisingly so good that Jim and the rest of the family encouraged her to change nothing in future years.)

Marylou also makes one of Jims favorite meals: traditional corned beef and cabbage. Its a steadfast family tradition. We were surprised to learn that its an American innovation. In Ireland, people more generally center the holiday meal on bacon or ham. Regardless, both the soda bread and the meal test Jims willpower. He says that all the food and drink is like the Irish Thanksgiving minus the football games, but with parades!

We love a parade

One of Chriss favorite traditions is marching with his alma mater, Marist College, in New York Citys annual St. Patricks Day Parade. Last year, Jim was afforded a perfect view from the steps of St. Patricks Cathedral as a guest of Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Its a memory hell never forget!

The New York parade is one of the oldest in the country (the oldest reportedly took place in 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida), with the first one being held way back in 1762.

The event, which marches up Fifth Avenue, typically has nearly 150,000 participants, and it has drawn as many as three million spectators many of whom find plenty of post-parade activities all around the Big Apple.

Even if youre not in New York, theres likely a parade in a city near you. Check out this list to find one near you.

L Fhile Pdraig sona duit! Or, as we Americans might say, Happy St. Patricks Day!

All the best,

Chris and Jim

Chris

Jim

Share your Story

Its not every day you meet a long lost relative and find out hes also in the agriculture business!

Kevin McCann reached out to Jim over LinkedIn recently due to the shared family name and similar line of work. Kevin operates the Armagh, Northern Ireland-based family farm P. McCann & Sons, where his family has grown fresh fruit for three generations.

While they cant be 100% certain theyre related, they assume theres some connection, somewhere way back.

Along with learning about the family name and the innovation and sustainability P. McCann & Sons is bringing to Ireland, Kevin and Jim discuss Irish culture, politics, and the opportunities that working in agricultural fields have created in our lives.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and please share your thoughts at .

Celebrating our heritage

A few years ago, Jim joined a fun virtual event with our friends at IrishCentral to discuss Irish heritage, St. Patricks Day traditions, and ideas for celebrating on March 17. Heres a replay of the event:

Join the Fun: St. Patrick’s Day Is Almost Here!

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