With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, staff and students get ready to celebrate their yearly traditions such as brunches, family time, and music. 

Michael Bokovitz, the school’s digital media productions teacher, says the holiday means spending time with his family. He said, “We usually go to my brother’s house, and everyone gets together. My mom makes Rice Krispie Treats, makes them green, and loads them up with marshmallows.”

Freshman Addison Beck is proud of her Irish heritage and the time she gets to spend with her family. She said, “We are almost 100% Irish. Being very Irish means we really love St. Patrick’s Day and go all out to celebrate.”

Beck also looks forward to her time spent with cousins. She said, “It has actually gotten a lot more fun as we get older, and I still love it.”

Sophomore Timothy Zagar has a family tradition for St. Patrick’s Day that’s different from most others: a pie competition. He said, “We all make our own non-original pie, and then we compare and pick a winner. Sometimes it’s really good, but other times it’s atrocious.

Zagar’s family also hosts an all-day St. Patrick’s Day party. He said, “[It] starts in the morning and goes all the way until midnight when we all settle down and usually watch a movie.”

Nora Klein is a sophomore who hosts her grandmother for St. Patrick’s Day every year. She said, “The holiday for us is more like a reason to get together. We don’t really celebrate the holiday – it’s more so we can hang out and see each other.” 

Another common St. Patrick’s Day tradition is listening to Irish music, which Bokovitz enjoys as the holiday approaches.  He said, “Sometimes I’ll go see some bands as the holiday comes up.”

Music is also a part of Beck’s St. Patrick’s Day memories. She said, “We go to my uncle’s house, and we all dress up in green. We stand in the kitchen and all sing this one Irish song – it’s really fun.”

Looking back on his childhood, Bokovitz remembers the time he would miss school as he celebrated a St. Patrick’s Day event. He said, “Not having to go to school was probably the best part. Even as I get older, I still love it – I love spending the day with my boys, and I think it’s a lot of fun to pass the traditions down.”

Klein has enjoyed making her own memories to create family traditions for St. Patrick’s Day.  She said, “I guess the consistency of doing it every single year was what I liked most about it. Having a specific day to be able to have something on the books and hang out with my family.” 

St. Patrick’s Day will occur on Friday, March 17, 2023. For more information on local activities, visit https://clevelandtraveler.com/st-patricks-day-in-cleveland.