A tradition by its very definition is an established pattern of action; the handing down of beliefs and customs by word of mouth or by example.
Enjoying Shamrock Shakes is my St. Patrick's Day family tradition. And recanting its origin has, over the years become part of our House of Shine tradition. So while it is awfully tempting to celebrate Absolutely Incredible Kid Day, Campfire Girls Day, or Ta'Ant Esther Day, March 17 is already spoken for.
St. Patrick's Day is the kind of holiday that can be easily overlooked, especially if you aren't Irish or 18 years old and looking for an excuse to drink green beer. But, my mother, who loves creating a sense of occasion was always sure to pay St. Patrick's Day its due. Each year, she gave me and my sisters enough money to treat ourselves to Shamrock Shakes at McDonalds. It was a small treat; a simple gesture meant to spread Shine in the middle of a long New York winter. And we loved it.
The tradition died abruptly when I moved to Arizona for college and quickly realized that Shamrock Shakes were a regional phenomenon. It wasn't until 1999 when I met Richard and, by extension Ricky, that I thought about Shamrock Shakes again. That year, I scoured the city of Dallas for a McDonald's that served up the thick, green cup of yum, so that I could introduce my old tradition to my new family.
There was not a green McDonald's Shamrock Shake to be had in all of North Texas.
Discouraged, but not defeated, we decided to make our own green shakes. Richard poured the milk, I scooped the ice cream, and Ricky gladly took control of pouring (and I do mean, pouring) green dye into the blender. The only caveat was that our homemade shakes HAD...HAD...HAD to be sipped out of McDonald's straws. If you don't know what makes a McDonald's straw better than any other straw in town, then it is high time you visit the location nearest you and treat yourself to a drink. Any drink. Their straws shine so much more than any other straw in town that the difference will be obvious!
Homemade shakes worked as our new and improved Beeny Family tradition for eleven years. That is, until this year.
This year Shamrock Shakes have finally made it to North Texas and maybe to a town near you. The cups are different and they've added whipped cream, but the straws are exactly the same, the drink tastes the same, and the memory is sweeter than ever!
This year we're going to shake things up a bit. We're going to load in the family car and head to McDonald's, so I can introduce my boys to the Shamrock Shake tradition as it was initially conceived 38 years ago.
How about you? Will you join me in drinking a McDonald's Shamrock Shake or do you have a different St. Patty's Day tradition you want to tell us about?
Shining off until tomorrow...