Luck of the Irish

“Each clover represents something different.” Harper held up a green four-leaf clover that she had drawn and cut out for her parents to see.

Harley stepped forward, “Faith.” He held up a drawing of a Celtic Cross.

Harper quickly grabbed the next cut-out, “Hope.”

“Luck.” Harley lifted another cut-out.

“And lastly, Love.” She set down the cut-outs and met Harley for an orchestrated hug. 

They let go of each other and said in unison, “May the Luck of the Irish be with you!”

Mom and Dad began to clap from their seats on the couch.

The twins wanted feedback, “What did you think?” Harper asked.

“Do you think we will get an A?” Harley gathered the cut-outs and put them back into their folder. 

Their class had each been assigned to research and create a short presentation on popular items, lore, and historical figures of Ireland for their Saint Patrick’s Day celebration at their school. When they found out that this would be their task, they had originally wanted to get assigned The Leprechaun but ended up enjoying the facts of the Four-Leaf Clover. 

“You did a great job with the fact-finding!” Mom applauded again.

“Yes, and I enjoyed the crafty props.” Dad chimed in, “I couldn’t believe that fact about the Guinness Book of World Records; what was the number again?”

“Right? It is hard to believe, but the record for the most leaves ever found on a clover stem is 63!”

“You both did wonderfully taking turns with the presentation, too.”

“Thank you.” They smiled and gave each other a high five. 

“Well, shall we continue the festivities with dinner?” 

“Yes, please! I am getting so hungry with all those smells coming from the kitchen.” Dad rubbed his stomach. 

Harper helped Harley finish putting things away before they joined Mom and Dad in the kitchen. In the spirit of the holiday, Mom had made corned beef and cabbage with traditional Irish soda bread. 

As the twins set the table, they discussed their classmates and their topics for the presentations, “How do you think Dylan did with The Leprechaun?”

“I bet he chose to go in a silly route, like dressing up or something,” Harley answered with a shrug. 

Dad brought a large bowl of boiled potatoes to the table, “Hey, did your class go over the Irish Potato Famine?” 

“I don’t think so…” Harley looked to his sister with uncertainty.

Harper scratched her head, “That doesn’t sound familiar. Maybe we will learn about it next year?”

“What’s a famine again? Isn’t it like going hungry or something?” Harley inquired as he set down the forks and knives. 

“Basically,” Dad said. “Famine is when a large portion of the population can’t access enough food. Sometimes famines happen if a drought occurs.”

“What happened to cause the potato famine?” 

“Well, in the 1800s, the majority of Ireland went through the famine when the potato crop failed due to a blight,” said Dad.

“What’s a blight?” They asked together.

Mom was listening to their depressing topic and joined in. “A blight is a disease that plants can get. Can we change the subject to something happier?”

“Sorry, Honey, since we are discussing all things Ireland, I thought it was appropriate; it is a big part of Irish history.” Dad defended himself. 

“You’re not wrong, but this isn’t good dinner conversation.”

“Actually, I think it is an excellent opportunity to be appreciative of the food we have.” Dad mused. 

“Now that is true!” Mom set down the large helpings of their Irish feast. “But let’s leave the rest of this lesson for them to learn next year.”

Dad nodded in agreement. 

The twins were curious to learn more but figured they would find out more details at school. Focused on the feast, they took turns pouring green lemonade that they had made earlier with food coloring. Once everyone was seated, Harley lifted his glass, “In Ireland, they like to say Slainte before they take a drink.” 

Everyone raised a glass, “And what does that mean?” Mom prompted another Irish fact out of the twins.

“Translated from both Irish and Scottish Gaelic, it means Health,” Harper responded. 

“I’ll toast to that!” Dad smiled, and they all clinked their glasses, “Now, let’s eat!”

“Thank you for the feast, Mom; we sure are lucky to have you and the food on our plates,” Harley grinned. 

Dad caught on, “Yes, Honey, I really found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when I married you!”

Mom laughed, “Very funny. I think as a family, we make the perfect four-leaf clover.”

**Did you learn anything new this year about St. Patrick’s Day at school? Does your family do anything special to celebrate the holiday? Have you ever found a four-leaf clover? Don’t forget to wear green! Do you know what happens if you don’t?