Dear Westbrook Senior Center Participants, A year ago this month (if you can believe it), we were directed by the Governor to shut the doors to the Senior Center and pause our daily routine as we knew it. Now, as all of you are aware, the DPH and the State of Connecticut started vaccinating Senior Citizens for COVID-19 on January 18, 2021. For many, the process for vaccine registration was difficult and frustrating; but as of March 1, over 75% of Seniors in our area have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose! With so many seniors getting vaccinated and the State’s decreasing COVID positivity rate, I will be working with Zachary Faiella-Town of Westbrook Health Director to develop a re-opening plan for the Westbrook Senior Center. When re-opening the Senior Center, a lot of factors have to be considered. This is why we have not yet released a date. When we are ready to open, all of you will receive notice of the date and guidelines for program participation. The guidelines will explain all of the changes to programs, changes to the Center and new rules we have to abide by to remain open. Although it will be structured differently, our mission is still the same: “to improve the quality of life for Senior Citizens in Westbrook, and our neighboring Shoreline towns and to promote the physical and social well-being of our Senior Community”. I miss you all and look forward to seeing of you soon. Best, Courtney Burks-Director March is Irish-American Heritage Month, Luck of the Irish Month and Shamrock Month. Let’s celebrate! The theme for this Bulletin is Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here are the national days for more inspiration: March 17- St. Patrick’s Day, Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, March 18- Sloppy Joe Day, Pillsbury Doughboy Birthday, Transit Driver Appreciation Day, Awkward Moments Day March 19- Let’s Laugh Day, Chocolate Caramel Day, Certified Nurses Day March 20- Spring Equinox, World Storytelling Day, Quilting Day, Ravioli Day, Corn Dog Day March 21- California Strawberry Day, Fragrance Day, French Bread Day, Common Courtesy Day, Memory Day March 22- Goof-off Day, Shoot Some Hoops Day, Bavarian Crepes Day, West Virginia Day March 23- Chia Day, Chip and Dip Day, Tamale Day, Puppy Day, Education and Sharing Day, 3-D Day March 24- A Cartoony Day, Celebrate Anything Day, Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, Cheesesteak Day, Equal Pay Day March 25- Medal of Honor Day, Women’s Empowerment Day March 26- Funny Friday, Epilepsy Awareness Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day March 27- Passover Begins, Spanish Paella Day, Cherry Tree Day, Earth Hour Lights Out Event – Do you care about climate change? If so, join people around the world in sending a global message at 8:30 p.m. tonight by switching off all lights. March 28- Palm Sunday, Full Moon- Worm Moon, Something on a Stick Day, Black Forest Cake Day, Weed Appreciation Day, Children’s Picture Book Day March 29- The Bright Side of Life Day, Holi Festival Day, Vietnam War Veterans Day, Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, Nevada Day, Lemon Chiffon Cake Day March 30- Take a Walk in the Park Day, Virtual Vacation Day, Pencil Day, Jeopardy! Day – One of the most popular game shows of all time, Jeopardy! debuted on NBC on this day in 1964. March 31- Crayola Crayon Day, Prom Day, Tater Day, Little Red Wagon Day, Manatee Appreciation Day, Clams on the Half Shell Day Biweekly Recipe: St. Patrick’s Pistachio Cake Ingredients: • Cooking spray with flour • 1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix • 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix • 4 eggs • 1 1/2 cups water • 1/4 cup vegetable oil • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract • 7 drops green food coloring Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray with flour. 2. Combine cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl. Set aside. 3. Combine eggs, water, vegetable oil, almond extract, and food coloring in a medium bowl. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. 4. Bake 50–55 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning cake out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Brainteaser: Do you know what I am? Here are some clues: -Answer on the bottom of page 5 1. A version of me first appeared in the 16th century. 2. My modern form was created by an English businessman named Thomas Rawlinson in the 17th century. 3. I was originally designed as a work-convenient option for charcoal and iron workers. 4. King George II banned me in 1746. 5. While I was banned, I was often worn by rebels against English rule in Scotland. 6. After the ban was lifted, special organizations were created to establish rules and traditions for how to wear me. 7. I am included as part of the dress uniform of certain military units around the world. 8. There is a set of special rules as to how I should be worn. 9. The fabric I am made of has special patterns to show the family or home of the person wearing me. 10. My name comes from a Scots word meaning “to tuck up clothes around the body.” 11. I am usually made of high-quality wool. 12. My “ancestor” was made of an 18-by-5-feet piece of fabric! 13. I originated in Scotland but am now popular in several Celtic countries such as Ireland and Wales. 14. I was originally worn by one Scottish “clan” but became popular throughout the country. 15. Some youth organizations like the Scouts and the Boys’ Brigade wear me for parades. 16. I am often seen at Scottish- or Celtic-themed events, such as Highland Games or pipe band competitions. 17. While usually reserved for special occasions, some people wear me as everyday clothing. 18. I am usually worn with a set of accompanying accessories as part of a uniform called “Highland dress.” 19. The special patterns on the wool I am made of are called tartan. 20. Some traditions say I should be worn without undergarments! Themed History: Tales of The Irish Introduction Irish folktales and fairy tales have a long oral tradition. It was a point of pride for storytellers to recite the tales with great accuracy, and listeners knew the stories well. The tales changed and expanded over time, with current events and places folded into the ancient stories. Literacy was prized among the nobility, which meant that stories were transformed as they moved back and forth between written and oral tradition. At the same time, certain story tropes remained even when they no longer reflected the current culture, making Irish folktales a wonderful amalgamation of the old and the new. An example of the inventive way the original tales were retained even with changing times is the introduction of Christianity to Ireland. As Christianity spread throughout the world, it banished the worship (or even mention of) prior deities, while at the same time absorbing the celebrations and stories, rebranding them as Christian. Ireland managed to retain the names and stories of early gods and goddesses by transforming them in ways that would be acceptable to followers of the newly flourishing religion. They did this in many ways: • In some instances, they turned deities into “historical” rulers and ancestors to make them acceptable to the new religion. • Sometimes they turned the old gods into demons, making them the “bad guys” in the stories. One example is Pan. • Most popularly, they made them lesser deities; the stories were set in pre-Christian times, and the protagonists were turned into supernatural saints who prophesied or otherwise pointed toward the coming Christ. Saint Brigid, for example, shares a name with the pagan goddess Brigid. In this way, they were able to retain the original names and creatures that populated their beloved folktales. Common Characters in Irish Tales There are many popular supernatural creatures and human heroes and heroines in Irish tales. Fairies feature prominently in Irish tales. These mystical creatures can take many forms but almost always appear as human-like. They are considered to have a hierarchy, including fairy royalty. Queen Mab or Queen Titania (as in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) are common names for the Queen of Fairies. The King of Fairies goes by many names, including Finvarra and Midhir. But the most well-known name is Oberon, also immortalized in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, who can be summoned by a song. Repeat the song three times during a party, and the Fairy King may appear. He will join in if he likes your party, but if he finds your gathering boring, mayhem may result! Leprechauns are often associated with the Irish, but they didn’t appear in ancient mythological tales; they became popular much later. Before the 20th century, leprechauns were thought to wear red instead of green. They are described as tiny creatures, wearing a jacket, formal hat, and shoes with buckles. Writer and amateur folklorist William Butler Yeats was part of a literary movement that called attention to the leprechaun in the late 19th century. Leprechauns are said to have hidden a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Fionn mac Cumhaill, also known as Finn McCool, was a warrior and hunter who was the subject of many folktales. His stories were often told through the eyes of his son, Oisin. Some stories claim that Fionn was a giant of a man and that he created many of Ireland’s most famous geographic features.