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Set aside March 15 through April 4 for the most exciting basketball event of the year, the NCAA Tournament, better known as March Madness.  Especially prone to its spell are alums of the selected teams and basketball addicts.  There is absolutely nothing on television that can compare with daily noon to midnight basketball.

The March Madness NCAA Tournament is a single elimination competition held every spring time in America, this year featuring sixty-eight college basketball line-ups, both at-large selections and conference champions.  The competition, in existence since 1939, is managed by the NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) and stretches over a three-week period.  The competition, and particularly the national semifinals and the finals, has grown to be one of the most famous collegiate sporting competitions of the nation. This is the golden opportunity to tout your alma mater or your favorite adopted team.

However, even though you have one of those huge flat screens, it is just not the same as seeing it in person. If your favorite team is in the playoffs, it might be the opportunity to plan your trip and experience the fun of seeing it in person.

Super Bowl Redux

And what does this have to do with entertaining?  Like the Super Bowl, although March Madness goes on for weeks, entertaining is casual and the food generally high calorie with dips, chili, fried chicken and bar-b-que, with perhaps some take-out pizza added. This is, after all, the ultimate event for couch potatoes all around the United States. Until the finals, perhaps with your alma mater in the game, there may not be many catered meals and large viewing parties.

Our suggestions were mentioned in our January newsletter -- Where Will You Be on Super Bowl Sunday? To avoid repetition, we hope you will refer to our recommendations for caterers and takeout.  Our choices will be a big hit with your fellow fans.

Erin Go Braugh

Another form of March Madness, but with the usual pagan heritage and religious observation, is St. Patrick's Day.  This seems to be a more appealing entertaining opportunity for fun, festivity and an opportunity to alter the table landscape with color-specific menu and décor.

As for the background of the day itself, little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century A.D., into a wealthy Romano-British family.  His father and grandfather were deacons in the Church.  At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. Upon escaping and returning to Britain, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

In 432, Patrick was called back to Ireland, this time as a bishop, to Christianize the Celtic Irish from their native polytheism.  Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish.  After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on March 17, 461.

Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St. Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century, and the display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.  In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland.  Although secular celebrations now exist, the holiday remains a religious observance in Ireland, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Ireland.  In the mid-1990s, the Irish government began a campaign to use Saint Patrick's Day to showcase Ireland and its culture.

The American Celebration of the Day

St.  Patrick's Day has been celebrated in the United States since colonial times.  In fact, the day marks the beginnings of the famous New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade, when by Irish military men serving in the British armies paraded in New York City to celebrate their Irish faith and heritage.  The Parade marched for the first time on March 17, 1762 - fourteen Years before the Declaration of Independence and, this year, celebrates its 250th year. Today, it is the oldest and largest parade in the world, with 150,000-200,000 marchers, and is one of New York City's greatest traditions.  Some two million viewers will line the parade route. The parade marches up Fifth Avenue past St. Patrick's Cathedral and the reviewing stands at 50th Street, all the way up past the American Irish Historical Society and the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 83rd Street up to 86th Street. True to its roots as an authentic marchers' parade, no floats, automobiles and other commercial aspects are allowed.  The police and fire departments (with long Irish traditions of members), Irish fraternal societies, college and high school bands, and drum and fife corps, all led by the city and state political figures, are part of the organized procession. One need only think of the new television series, Blue Bloods, to understand the Irish generational pride in the New York Police Department and their participation in the parade activities. 

All over the United States, Irish euphoria takes over in mid-March.  In addition to its parade, Chicago colors its river green for the day.  Boston and Philadelphia also have long parade traditions and vie with New York for years of existence.  Dallas, too, has its parade down Greenville Avenue, but it lacks the history and élan of New York and other cities with older traditions and large populations of Irish heritage.

Entertaining for St. Patrick's Day

Since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, the celebration of the day is fun.  It is a great excuse to have a green and Irish-themed dinner party, complete with menu, table settings and, perhaps, some Celtic music.

Menu

For a more casual or family day, think of corned beef and cabbage, a traditional American-Irish dish, and a color-specific foods, such as green salads, vegetables and green-hued desserts, perhaps made with lime or pistachio.  The more elegant dinner might include an asparagus soup, rack of lamb with generous amounts of watercress and a wonderful key lime and meringue tart, such as one of our favorites at Central Market. 

Tablescapes

Surely, everyone has something green for a table setting— be it china, place mats or napkins.  A centerpiece of shamrocks, belles of Ireland, green orchids or interesting green plants can easily enhance the theme.  Check our flower sources.

Music

Don't forget a CD or two of Celtic music and another of a few lilting old Irish melodies, such as Danny Boy and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling to add atmosphere to the evening.  One year, we bought The Irish Tenors for ambiance for our dinner party setting.  It now plays in our background as we write about St. Patrick's Day.  A quick review of Irish music on Amazon.com will yield a few good suggestions, such as the six-time Grammy winners, The Chieftains  (who made a Dallas stop on their U.S. tour last week), and the Dublin balladeers, The Wolfe Tones.

St. Patrick's Day is yet another theme and color-inspired holiday to observe and fun for all.

Indulge us!
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