Is it your lucky day?

Do you feel lucky?  After all, it is St. Patrick's Day!  The day where everyone is Irish.

Did you know it was St. Patrick's Day?  Is is a big day where you live?  Are you sporting something green today?

Our city's name is Dublin, and so it is hard NOT to know it is St. Patrick's Day.  In fact, when you live in Dublin you are lucky every day as the Irish influence is everywhere.

Each of the three high school's has green as one of its colors and the team names are the Fighting Irish, the Shamrocks and the Celtics.

Many of the street names or neighborhoods have Irish influences, and every year Dublin holds a St. Patrick's Day parade on the Saturday before the holiday with over 100 parade units.  Think your legs look good in a kilt? Then enter the Best Legs Contest.  Reddest Hair?  Most Freckles?  Yes.  You too could win a prize.

Hungry? Come to the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast before the parade and top your all-you-can-eat pancakes off with green syrup. Mmmmmm.

And it seems the whole city is wearing something with Kelly green on it,  whether it is a green lei, green socks,green mittens, a green scarf or a green top hat! Over 20,000 people line the parade route to watch the three high school bands, sporting green uniforms, the large inflatable green shamrocks, Irish Wolfhounds and hundred of other city trucks, convertibles, Girls and Boys Scouts, or little majorettes, all with green decorations.

In fact Dublin loves Irish music and all things green so much that at the beginning of August the city hosts the largest Irish Festival in the world outside of Dublin, Ireland.  For three days we go to enjoy authentic Irish music -- yes, many of the bands travel from Ireland and some of the best Irish dancers in the world.

Over 100,000 attend on acres of a city park and Killian's flows from the taps while attendees enjoy bangers and Irish Stew, along with traditional summer fair food such a funnel cakes.

And yes, even lighted Shamrocks decorate home windows and Shamrock place mats adorn kitchen tables with Shamrock green bears as centerpieces.

Twice a year our city lives up to its Irish name and we couldn't be luckier to live here, especially on St. Patrick's Day!  As for me, I am Irish on both my mother and father's side of my family.  We have even traced our family tree to Francis Marion Creighton who immigrated from Dublin, Ireland! Top of the mornin' to you!  May the luck of the Irish be with you! Happy St. Patrick's Day!