Happy Monday! St. Patrick’s Day is a week away and in anticipation, I’m sharing some love of the Irish with the wearing of the green at the table.
A longstanding Irish tradition, “The Wearing of the Green” originally referred to wearing a shamrock in one’s hat on or a jacket lapel and has roots in the seventeenth century, when wearing symbols of Catholicism or support for the Irish Republic was forbidden in Ireland. The Irish defiantly wore shamrocks, and later green clothing, to symbolize their faith and support for an independent Ireland.
My inspiration for my St. Patrick’s Day-themed table came from an assortment of vintage St. Patrick’s Day postcards and a shamrock embroidered runner.
I’ve always loved vintage postcards that have survived through the years. . .oh the stories they could tell.
I picked up the postcards at an antique mall for a couple of dollars each . . .the oldest one with a post mark of 1911, addressed to ‘Mary’. ☘️
An embroidered shamrock runner is layered over a green herringbone patterned tablecloth. . .
For each petal on the shamrock. This brings a wish your way – Good health, good luck, and happiness. For today and every day.
– Irish Blessing
Help yourself to a sweet shamrock, a Grace’s Irish Oatmeal Biscuit, served up in a cabbage leaf bowl!
I recycled my Monday Morning Blooms pitchers, filled with white and green grocery store flowers. . .
Hydrangeas, alstroemeria, stock, mums, spray roses and hyacinths.
Table Details:
Cabbage Plates / Bordallo Pinheiro, Tuesday Morning, several years ago
Ironstone pitchers & postcards / vintage
Flatware / Hampton Forge, Sophia, Horchow
Charges & Napkins / Pier 1
Napkin Rings / Bed, Bath & Beyond
Goblets / Artland Iris
Shamrock runner and green tablecloth / Amazon
Grace’s Irish Oatmeal Biscuits / World Market
☘️ Erin Go Bragh Ireland Forever ☘️
Here’s to an island fair and green,
Where the laugh is heard and the smile is seen,
Here’s to her blue skies and jolly fine weather,
Oh here’s to the Ireland we all love together.
Find a round up of of recipes and table inspiration to help you Eat, Drink and Be Irish, HERE.
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Between Naps on the Porch
Another lovely table, Mary. The vintage postcards add such a festive touch. I have a number of them and use them on a little white St. Patrick’s Day tree.
Love love the green!! It’s a nice start to SPRING!! HAPPY ST. PADDY’S DAY ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
Wow I love the antique postcards. I enjoy seeing them and the artistry that was of the time. That is a real pretty runner and of course I love the dishes! Interesting info about the wearing of the green!
I love the embroidered table runner and the vintage postcards but then your posts are always so inspiring and informative! You are an inspiration and blessing to your followers. Thank you once again.
Mary, I love your sweet collection of vintage St. Paddy’s Day postcards. Your table is so festive and beautiful with your flowers and shamrock runner. Thank you for sharing, Erin Go Bragh! ☘️💚 Katie
Mary, I love the St. Paddy’s Day vintage post cards, I need to start collecting vintage post cards. The shamrock table runner is perfect as are all of your wonderful details! ☘️💚☘️ Happy Monday!
Delightful Mary. I love your new runner. So pretty! I like vintage postcards too. I have one Irish one but at the moment I don’t know where it is! I like how you remade your flower arrangements for this table. Perfect details.
Love the entire table Mary, but especially the postcards and the runner. We r headed to Ireland this summer and I hope to come home with a few linens.
Your table is simply charming Mary, the embroidered cloth is beautiful and your collection of vintage cards adds so much warmth and wonder…as you said, the stories they could tell…they really make you think about times past…I think it is truly special that we still embrace this Irish holiday and tradition ☘️💕
Jenna
Ah, what a breath of fresh air to see your Irish tablescape, Mary! I wish we were seeing more green here in Northern Michigan( Traverse City) but at least the snow is finally melting. 👍 May the luck of the Irish be with you!
Oh Mary, that embroidered runner is fabulous atop the herringbone tablecloth. The vintage postcards surely did inspire you to present such a pretty Irish table. I’d love an Irish Oatmeal biscuit, please!
Luv the vintage postcards! I like to put mine on small easels throughout the cabin…they make me smile! O’franki
Mary, The vintage post cards are a great idea! How nice to find one addressed to “Mary”. Love the table runner. Another beautiful tablescape! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Clara ❤️
Love the vintage post cards ,& the table runner❤
The Green color is so festive.
Beautifully done and I couldn’t agree more on the vintage postcards:). They’re such a wonderful peek into the past!
So fun Mary – I love the postcards! Thanks for the recipes too, and the beautiful start to the week!
Such a charming (Irish eyes must be smiling) table Mary! I especially appreciate all the informative facts sprinkled in your post too🍀
Thank you!
I Love that it is fun, cheerful and oh so
Pretty. Makes me smile💚
Thank You Mary for the lovely sayings and sharing your beautiful Irish tablescape.
HAPPY ST.PATRICK’S DAY
Marion,Marilyn and Joan
Always nice to see all the greenery for St. Paddy’s Day! Thank you for the Irish inspiration. The table runner is certainly beautiful with the variety of green shamrocks. That would be fun to embroider! The white ironstone pitcher is beautiful too! Spring is coming for sure!
Lovin’ your green checked napkins Mary! Happy Week leading up to St. Patty’s Day, my corned beef is safely tucked away in the fridge:@)
Erin go bragh, indeed! Mary, your table is gorgeous. I love that runner! How sweet to find that many postcards for St. Patty’s Day. Fyi….I am the 2020 keeper of the cloth, and thanks to your impish leprechaun, there’ve been some shenanigans going on on my table ever since the spring blog hop last Tuesday! I think I need to call the leprechaun police. ;)
Everything about your table looks so pretty and happy to hear you found a postcard “addressed” to you.
Mary, you surely had the luck of the Irish in finding the treasure chest of special vintage St. Patrick’s Day postcards. How awesome that you found one sent to “Mary”! I love your cut out embroidered shamrock table runner, it is so pretty and perfect for your table. Do you have any Irish in your family tree? If so, I’m sure they would be proud of your tablescape.☘☘☘
Mary, your bird’s eye view photos are spectacular. You have such an incredible sense of style in everything you present and also in how you photograph and edit. This is such a special presentation of green and white. Love every detail!
Two thoughts today when I had time to open the email. First, there will not be many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this year, not the way they’re being canceled in every location everywhere, EVEN in Ireland. Actually, St. Patrick’s Day was never a big hoo-ha celebration in Ireland until AFTER it became a massive excuse for partying and getting disgustingly drunk and many other revolting behaviors in the United States, especially In New York City. I guess Ireland thought they had best keep up with the Yanks. The second one gives me a chuckle the minute I read the expression “Erin Go Bragh” as now it always reminds me of a Hercule Poirot episode titled, “The Kidnapped Prime Minister” by Agatha Christie in which he helps find the Prime Minister who has been taken and replaced by a substitute for the devious plans of Northern Ireland rebels. At the end of the mystery, when the kidnappers knew they had been found, one woman of the scheme stands at the top of a derelict old castle where they are hiding and before shooting herself to make one last martyr sacrifice she yells, “Erin Go Bragh”. Hopefully one day the children all over Ireland won’t quite understand what all the fuss was about as it will be so far in the past no one really remembers the conflicts, the killings and all the wasted senseless destruction and what it was all about. It will seem an incredibly silly fuss to the people perhaps in 100 years.
When people think of Ireland they should immediately be thinking about very green lush hills, thousands of sheep, fine lead crystal (at least that’s high on MY list even if sadly, not much is even produced there any longer. Maybe one day it will come home again), warm, cozy cable knit fisherman sweaters, some of the best music on the planet both traditional and modern, some of the literature. If you’re a guy its probably way high on the list most likely the Guinness brew and other beers. I still believe Arthur Guinness was most likely one of the most brilliant businessmen who has ever lived. For those of you who are unaware of this, in 1759 (or somewhere in there) he signed a 9,000 year least (yes, you read that correctly, NINE THOUSAND years) to rent the land the brewery is in right smack in the MIDDLE of Dublin (most likely out in the burbs then) for a mere 45 pounds per YEAR. This is one of the reasons the brewery has never moved. And of course we can’t forget Irish Whiskey. The guys out there might also say Rugby and other sports but I know little of those things. I pay attention to the crystal and the sweaters and the “important” things in life. Hopefully by next year this virus rattling the world at the moment will be a distant memory and we can all return to our normal St. Patrick’s Day’s festivities. I had planned on having a St. Patrick’s Day meal for the residents at the retirement community my family owns and runs but with everyone SO upset about this and despite the fact it has stayed in the few counties surrounding DC and Baltimore (knock on wood), its only a matter of time till we see it here in our little town as we’re a prime work community territory into the DC area each day. On a GOOD day when I-270 is not too large of a parking lot, thousands from the wide general area begin commuting as early as 3 am to beat the massive gridlock happening around 6 to 7 am. With all of those people working in Montgomery County, the District of Columbia itself and even the Virginia counties right outside of DC, its bound to come home with someone. When I questioned one resident yesterday they immediately felt we shouldn’t try to have anything this month so I’m placing my St. Patrick’s Day meal on hold. There is no reason one cannot enjoy Corned Beef and Cabbage on other days of the year. I for one will be glad when this is past and life can return to normal. I’m SURE the people of Italy definitely feel the same. May everyone out there be safe and healthy and WASH your hands often each day. The best thing possible to protect yourself.
Mary, Your tables are so delightful! I love that Shamrock table runner!
Lovely table but that runner is a thing of beauty.
You have a fabulous collection of St. Pat’s post cards. I need to look for more! Your tables are always filled with charm, Mary! Love the linens and your cabbage ware!