Every time March comes around, I think about what I might do for St. Patrick’s Day. Typically that’s nothing — no big celebrations, no elaborate get-togethers. Maybe I’ll wear green. Maybe I’ll make a matcha latte instead of coffee, just because it fits the mood. But most years, the day sneaks up and then passes just as quickly. What always stands out to me isn’t the holiday itself, it’s how much green we start seeing before there’s any outside.
Walk into almost any store and you’ll see it. Green ribbon. Green frosting. Green sugar cookies in bakery cases. It’s everywhere. Meanwhile, outside, everything is still brown or gray. We start surrounding ourselves with green before it returns to the landscape. It’s almost like we need the reminder: “You’re getting there. Keep going!”
Green has always symbolized growth, nature and renewal. But in early spring, it feels more specific. It feels like hope. It shows up ahead of the season, pointing toward what’s coming before we can see it. Maybe that’s why the color matters so much this time of year.
St. Patrick’s story has a similar theme. He wasn’t Irish by birth. As a teenager, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. After years in captivity, he escaped and returned to Britain. What’s most remarkable is that he later chose to go back — not out of obligation, but out of conviction. He returned to the place of his suffering with a sense of purpose, determined to bring faith and hope.
It is said that he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity: three parts, one whole. Over time, the clover came to represent hope, faith and love. The rare fourth leaf eventually symbolized luck. Whether every detail is historically precise isn’t really the point. What matters is that the shamrock became a sign of resilience, of belief in something beyond the current moment.
Seeing green before it’s here feels like a shamrock to me — a promise, but also a nudge of hope. It’s a reminder that growth is happening in the smallest ways, when you hardly notice the change. Just because you can’t see something fully formed doesn’t mean it isn’t in motion.
Maybe that’s why the shamrock is still central to the holiday — not just because it’s festive, but because it represents hope. So even if St. Patrick’s Day comes and goes without much excitement, I still find myself bringing green into the kitchen. My green goddess whipped feta dip, for example, makes an easy appetizer or snack.
Green shows up before spring does. And every year, it feels like reassurance that we’re headed in the right direction.
Green goddess whipped feta dip
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, parsley, dill, basil)
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
Add the feta, fresh herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, honey and olive oil to a food processor. Blend until thick and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, until the herbs are very finely chopped and fully incorporated. Taste and adjust with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice as needed. Serve with fresh vegetables, warm pita, or crackers. Enjoy!
