St Patrick’s Day 🍀 -A love story about Ireland 🇮🇪
Before I start, let’s get in the mood. Click play on the playlist below so you can read this with background music that gets you on your Irish attitude.
Ireland feels like a second home to me. I have a deep connection with some places in the world. There’s this strange connection with France, for instance. I feel like I need to be near that country, if not in that country. Since the first time I visited Paris, I told my mum that I needed to go to France often. Not Paris, although I’m in love with the city, as anyone else in the world. I said France. As if some magical magnet was attracting my body to that particular place. A strange thing for a ten year old to say, I think.
With Ireland, it is a whole different thing. I studied English at university. I fell in love with all the Celtic branch of literature, art, language and music. It came all together as a package. I’ve had this connection prior to starting my degree. I’ve always loved the faeric realm and the mythology surrounding the place. The connection with Galicia in their Celtic past and the pagan transitions of the seasons. Stories that emerged from Ireland, Wales and Scotland mesmerized me. The fact that I have Scottish family only made it a deeper connection. It’s not blood family, so I don’t think I carry it in my blood directly (it’s the only reason why I explain it). Dave, you’re blood to me 🥰.
The mental journey began there, but then I went to Dublin. The actual journey started. I was already a musician back then. I felt the music. And I say felt, because in Ireland you can’t just listen to music, you have to feel it. Actually, you don’t have to feel it, you just do it.
I went there for some years each Christmas (read it here, and here if you wish) and I became more and more fond of their people. It’s normal, they treated me as if I was family and I don-t believe they were making an exception with me. Actually I think they are that nice with everyone. That feeling of being there, in the houses of people I just met, belonging, it’s something magical. It makes you want more of that.
I have to thank my dear Paddy for that above anyone else. We met at the Christmas Busk the first year we went there, and the next year we were already staying at his house. I usually refer to him and Saoirse (his daughter) as my Irish family. I think of them very often, and even if we haven’t been in Ireland after the incident. I keep in touch and they keep in touch. And I’m starting to miss them too much, so whenever the boundaries are open and I can travel, I might go visit my Irish family.
For people that don’t have to work in different places, this feeling is a bit difficult to explain. But, remember when you were kids and visited a relative that you only saw once a year or even less? But whenever you visited, you felt at home and it seemed like no time had passed since your last visit? That is the feeling.
I thought they (The Irish) deserved another post in my blog. I know nowadays celebrating St.Patrick’s is not very well seen among some people because of their beliefs, like Pagans for instance. The fact that the celebration has a saint name and revolved around his “work” converting people (at least in theory) doesn’t mean we can’t have a party around a country and their people. Because, for some, it is a celebration about church and believes, but I think in this case…St.Patrick’s day is a celebration of Ireland. I say this because I believe in the power of celebrating as something that makes you feel happier, fullfilled and connected to the people you love (wherever they are).
So, however you want to call it…St.Patrick’s day, St.Paddy’s, Irish day, All Snakes’ day or Green day (so funny)…the day we celebrate Ireland is a good day. We celebrate, and every day we celebrate is a good day. Have fun and keep fooding!
I hope you are enjoying the playlist for today, you also have last year’s here:
What are you cooking today? I’m on the road to Madrid, so I won/t be able to cook anything special.
I’m listening to the playlist right now (and coincidentally, Paddy is singing) I hope you get inspired to cook some of the recipes from this post. Sláinte!
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