St. Patrick’s Day is quite possibly my favorite holiday — after Thanksgiving and Christmas, of course. I love everything about Ireland and the Irish. This year, I’m even more excited because, three months from today, I’ll be heading overseas as part of a two-week tour through Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France. I don’t usually go crazy on St. Patrick’s Day in the stereotypical American style, with drinking and partying, but I love Fanning Out and celebrating the holiday in my own way.

Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, my mother makes a tasty dish called Irish Coddle, which is a simple dish consisting of potatoes, bacon, sausage, and onion, all cooked together. I think it’s supposed to be a breakfast dish, but we eat it for dinner, and it’s amazing. If you’re interested, here’s a recipe very similar to the one my mom makes. Coddle may not be the healthiest dish you could eat, but it’s so good, especially when eaten with a loaf of Irish soda bread. We usually buy our soda bread from a store, but if you’re really ambitious, you can try making your own. Maybe next year I’ll make the attempt.

One year, I found a bottle of Bunratty Mead at the local liquor store. I had first drunk the mead at Bunratty Castle during my family’s first trip to Ireland in 2008. We attended a medieval feast in the castle, where the mead was produced. At Bunratty, the mead was fresh and tasted pretty good, but here in the States … not so much. However, it was still a fun way to celebrate and remember our time in Ireland. This year, we won’t be having any authentic Irish drinks — except perhaps a little Bailey’s in a cup of cocoa — but we will be making our own “shamrock shakes.” Who can resist minty-milkshake goodness?

After dinner on March 17, my family usually watches a movie, most likely Darby O’Gill and the Little People, which stars a young Sean Connery. The movie has been a favorite of mine since I was very young (back when the banshee at the end terrified me and gave me nightmares but still didn’t stop me from watching the movie repeatedly). Another option is The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. While in Ireland, we visited the town where most of the movie was filmed and saw several of the shooting locations; our tour guide even had our group act out some of the scenes from the film.

As you can see, Ireland holds a very special place in my heart and I enjoy celebrating all things Irish. Therefore, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d share with you a few of my favorite things about Ireland:

5. Irish alcohol: I am a fan of Bailey’s Irish Cream. Who doesn’t love a little bit of Bailey’s poured into a cup of hot cocoa or coffee? My family and I were introduced to the drink during that 2008 trip to Ireland, and even my mother, who almost never drinks, now loves her cocoa and Bailey’s. Another stop we made while in Ireland was at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. In the bar at the top of the factory, we were all given a free pint of Guinness. I am not a beer fan, and Guinness was way too strong for me. My brother, however, loved it. He’s also become a fan of Jameson, the famous Irish whiskey.

4. Irish literature: Ireland has a very rich literary history. Many great classic authors come from Ireland: Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, James Joyce, Seamus Heaney, Oscar Wilde, and many more. Modern authors include Maeve Binchey, Colm Tóibín, Cecelia Ahern (author of PS, I Love You — read the book, which is way better than the movie, but have tissues on hand) and many, many more. My favorite modern Irish author (and one of my favorite authors period) is Tana French, whose work we reviewed in January. If you like tense, dramatic mysteries that really focus on character development, try reading one of her books — they’re brilliant.

3. Irish actors: I’m sure you girls out there would agree with me. Ireland has produced some great actors, such as Aidan Turner, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Colin O’Donoghue, Jamie Dornan, Colin Farrell, and Liam Neeson, and the list goes on. Not only do these guys have acting chops, but they are very good looking and the accent is absolutely to die for.

2. Irish music: I love a lot of the classic pub songs: “Whiskey in the Jar” and “The Irish Rover” are great. I also love how people always sing along to them in bars. There are also the “rebel songs,” which are written about the Irish desire for freedom from British rule. One of my favorite Irish songs ever is “Four Green Fields“. My favorite memory from my trip to Ireland is hearing my tour guide sing that song and the emotion in his voice as he sang it. Ireland also gave us U2, one of my favorite bands ever. Most of the members of the Irish-inspired band Flogging Molly are American, though lead singer Dave King was born in Dublin.

1. Ireland: I’m pretty much just in love with the country itself because, honestly, what’s not to love? Everything is beautiful and green, and the people are extremely welcoming and friendly. If you ever have a chance to visit the country, take it — you won’t regret it. I cannot wait to go back in three months; I only wish I could stay more than a few days.

Everyone has their own reasons for being Irish today. Regardless of yours, I hope you all have a great St. Patrick’s Day! I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Irish blessings:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand