Dear [NAME],
Top o' the mornin' to ya' [NAME]!
Can you tell I'm getting into the spirit of St. Patrick's Day? Speaking of our old buddy Patrick, would you believe that his real name was Maewyn? I'm not making this up! Check it out! It seems young Maewyn was born an Irish pagan in 385 A.D. After an eventful (if you call being stolen and sold into slavery eventful) youth, Maewyn turned to Christianity and attended a monastery in Gaul (that's France to you and me). He adopted the name Patrick, and eventually was sent back to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish Druids. And very good at it, he was. Apparently the Druids were always after poor Patrick's hide, but he escaped them every time and served 30 successful years as Bishop of Ireland.
St. Patrick died in County Down on March 17, 461 A.D., and St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated on that date ever since. Ironically, the holiday was originally a religious observance, but the American version today bears little resemblance to the original intent.
Well, now that you know more than you ever wanted to about St. Patrick's Day, how about a recipe to cheer on the day?
Sincerely,
[NAME]
[TITLE]
St. Patrick's Punch
2 cans (6 oz each) frozen limeade
1 quart white grape juice
2 to 4 liters ginger ale (adjust to taste)
Few drops green food coloring
Mix all ingredients except ginger ale. Add ginger ale just before serving.
