Did you know that the "wearing of the green" on St. Patrick's Day is a symbol of Irish rebellion? Do you celebrate by cooking up a lamb stew instead of corned beef and cabbage? Do you serve your stew with a room temperature Guiness instead of a cold green beer? If you answered "yes" to just one question, you're either a history buff or you're "true Irish."

Lots of Americans become Irish on March 17th. We go to parades, sing Irish folk songs, wear the green and drink Irish spirits. My family celebrates along with the rest of the country, but for the last few years it's been different. I'd always suspected it, but about 5 years ago we found out for sure: our family tree has roots in the Emerald Isle! My uncle stumbled upon an Irish ancestor when he started researching our family history and turned up a whole branch of the family we knew nothing about.

Now when we gather on St. Patrick's Day, my uncle shares all the new new information he's uncovered during the year. We've learned so much about our family from his efforts. But there are still so many questions. Was our family Celtic? Did they speak Gaelic? Whose sides did they take in Ireland's many occupations and revolutions? What was their religion? And what brought them to America? I can't wait for our very special St. Patrick's Day celebration this year. We still have so many questions!

Your "Irish I Knew" Gift Guru
Linda