Dear Diary - Happy St Patrick's Day!

  

Dear Diary,

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I heard the BEST St Patrick's Day story today.

I know that some people out there may know about this, but it's the first time I've ever heard of it!

Fluffy Bear, having an Irish father and having actually BEEN to Ireland, scoffed at the Colonial interpretation and embellishment of the day dedicated to Ireland's Patron Saint, but I thought it was adorable.

A friend told me about what her daughter does with her kids on St Patrick's Day.

She tells them that you have to try and catch a Leprechaun.  If you succeed, he'll tell you where his pot of gold is!

To do this, you have to first turn a cardboard box upside-down and - of course! - prop it up with a stick to make a trap.

Second, you have to tempt the Leprechaun - wily lil' fella that he is - into the trap with food and drink.  And it has to be appropriately presented.  So the kids took a plate and cup from their tea set and set out - what else? - some mashed potato and a little beer.

Third, you have to make sure the Leprechaun finds the trap in the first place, so little clovers are strewn in the house, leading to the trap.

Last, you have to protect your school shoes, because Leprechauns were once cobblers, and they like to take a shoe and hide it.

Once the kids are asleep, the food is disposed of, one of each of their shoes is hidden (get ready to be late for school in the morning!), chocolate gold coins are put under the box, the traps are put down and green glitter boot prints are put down where the Leprechaun ran away.  Under one corner of trap, a little hat is placed because the Leprechaun got away, but we managed to get his hat!

I couldn't help but imagine the kids rushing to check the trap in the morning, rejoicing at the gold coin candy and then frantically searching the house for their missing shoes!

GENIUS!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!

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