THE BLARNEY STONE, County Cork ROI – This is a very big weekend. If you’re Irish, and you have a mother, it’s a huge weekend.
The global Irish diaspora, and everyone else’s general enjoyment of beer and frolicking, means that March 17th is now a cause for celebration around the world.
Yes, it is St Patrick’s Day. The day we remember the man who drove the snakes out of Ireland and spread Christianity. Or if you’re in the U.S the day you spend $4.5 billion, most of it on green stout.
Wearing green on St Patrick’s Day is allegedly an American invention too, as the original colour was blue.
To celebrate in style you obviously need a leprechaun hat, some Guinness and perhaps even a plastic shamrock.
Luckily, you can download some apps on your Nokia Lumia to make it look like you have the final finishing touches, even if you don’t.
If you really are Irish, and feeling homesick, you can also download apps to follow the RTE news, find out what the weather’s doing (It’s raining) or stay home and make yourself an Irish coffee.
Does that make sense, or is it just “Arthur Guinness” talking? Be sure to check out all the Irish slang you need before saying something you regret.
For real Irish people, and Europeans, this weekend is a double whammy. It is also Mother’s Day on Sunday March 18th.
(If you’re an American ignore this, you have another day to buy last-minute flowers and saccharine cards.) Although, no harm in treating your mom, this weekend as well.
As ever, Nokia is here to help. It has to be said, there is a smaller selection of Mother’s Day related apps – perhaps ambitious young developers just have other priorities.
But if you are a mummy’s boy try the slightly creepy Mother Son Dance app to honour your special relationship.
Or crack your mother up with some jokes from the Yo Mama app which claims to be so funny users have fallen to the floor laughing.
“Yo mama is so fat she stands in two time zones!”
ROLF? Maybe not.
The truth is – most of us do want to do something nice for our mothers on Sunday. It’s just a little too soon to buy her a new Nokia 808 PureView. Maybe next year. But you could try some recipes from the Big Oven app if you want to make her dinner. Time Out magazine has some good ideas for last-minute presents and the Guardian has made a Mother’s Day beauty tips video if you feel like something more girly.
Above all, don’t let your St Patrick’s Day hangover ruin your mother’s favourite event of the year.