St Patricks day In Qatar

St Patrick's Day in Doha is great fun as we have lots of Irish people to celebrate the day with as well as lots of Irish venues! Here we take a look at the history of St Patrick's Day and some ideas of what to do, where to go and what to make to celebrate St Patricks Day.

History Of St Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17th because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17th in the year 461 AD. St. Patrick was born in 385 AD somewhere along the west coast of Britain, possibly in the Welsh town of Banwen.  So St Patrick wasn’t actually Irish!

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century and has nowadays become a non- religious, world- wide celebration of Irish culture in general. Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by Irish expats all over the world, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably one of the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world!

Green, green and more green

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.

St Patrick's Day around the world...

Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dublin holds a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival over 3 days that features loads of activities and parades. In America, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17^th. Some towns and cities paint their street markings green for the day! In Chicago, the river is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737 and Montreal is home to Canada’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1824.

Qatar Irish Society

The Irish Society in Qatar holds events throughout the year including the annual St Patrick’s Day Ball and a children’s Christmas Party.

Email: [email protected]

For more information, event listings and membership details visit www.irishinqatar.com/qatar-irish-society/

Irish Food Recipe

Here's a yummy recipe for Colcannon Mash for you...

Irish Colcannon Mash

1 ½ pounds potatoes

1 ½ cups of milk

1 ½ cups of boiled green cabbage or curly kale

1 tablespoon of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup chopped spring onions  

Boil the potatoes until they are tender and drain well

Mash the potatoes with a hand held potato masher

Toss the boiled, chopped cabbage and spring onions in the melted butter

Add the cabbage and butter to the potatoes and fold well

Season with the salt and pepper to taste

Serve with hot corn beef and a light parsley sauce... mmmm mouthwatering!