Ireland’s ancient Christmas traditions and the magic of Newgrange. The winter holidays are a time to gather with family and friends, to share abundance, to feast, to reflect on joyful memories, and to hope the future will be peaceful and prosperous for all. It seems someone is slicing a fruitcake or pouring a glass of holiday cheer wherever one goes. Bombarded as we are … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Joyous Season
Slainte Archives
Sláinte! The Magic of Mushrooms
By Edythe Preet, Columnist
From fairy rings to the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, mushrooms have fascinated people since antiquity. ℘℘℘ Alert! Savvy insider grocery tip I’ve kept secret for several decades ahead! One crisp November afternoon while shopping for my Thanksgiving feast ingredients, I was selecting perfect mushrooms one by one from an overflowing display for my yummy wild rice side dish. I … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Magic of Mushrooms
Sláinte! The Doors of Dublin
The story behind the Georgian houses in Dublin City and why no two adjacent doors are alike. Mention the word “doors” to someone of the Boomer Generation (me, for instance) and the first free association response could easily be The Doors, that late 1960s music trio featuring Irish American lead singer Jim Morrison, whose iconic song “Light My Fire” earned the group a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Doors of Dublin
Sláinte! Women Rule
“I was elected by the women of Ireland who, instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.” – Mary Robinson, President of Ireland, 1990 – 1997 Several months ago, when 2016’s presidential campaign launched with more hoopla than has been seen in U.S. politics for more than a century, a Dublin-born friend told me he was placing his bet that, for the first time in American … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Women Rule
Sláinte! Heroes of the Revolution
As St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world, Edythe Preet looks to March 17, 1776, and the role the Irish played in America’s bid for freedom. Pop quiz: what color ink is used to sign legislative bills into law? If you answered black, you’d be right with one exception. On March 12, 1941, Massachusetts Governor Leverett Saltonstall used green ink to sign a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Heroes of the Revolution