Enjoy a Sober St. Patrick's Day  from The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.    252 West Swamp Road, Unit 12 Doylestown, PA 18901 215-345-6644 www.councilsepa.org

Celebrating the Irish Can Be Fun!                 There are about 35 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry and roughly 145,000 U.S. residents who were born in Ireland. Most of us who want to celebrate all that's great about being Irish do it on St. Patrick's Day. But many people use the day as an excuse to get drunk, whether on green beer or other alcohol.                  Unfortunately, getting drunk is not one of the great things about the Irish. Many of our ancestors buried under the beautiful Celtic crosses in Ireland "drank themselves to death." So here are some tips for celebrating a fun and joyful day of honoring the Irish while staying sober:   Wear some green clothing--any shade. Get a leprechaun hat.  Spray your hair green; paint a shamrock on your cheek; wear a "Kiss Me I'm Irish" button. Start your day with the magical cereal, Lucky Charms! Add green food coloring to your milk! Cook some Corned Beef and Cabbage; or traditional green and white Colcannon. Make some pasta with green food coloring in the water and add some Alfredo sauce on top with chopped parsley. Make your own shamrock shakes--or you know where to get them!. Get together with a group of sober friends and watch an Irish movie (Once; The Commitments; Borstal Boy; The Magdalene Sisters; Angela's Ashes; Waking Ned Divine; Michael Collins). Put your feet up and celebrate Ireland's rich storytelling history by reading about some Irish myths and legends (Cu Chulainn, Finn MacCool, Oisin, Tir na nOg). Attend a St. Patrick's Day parade with friends and family family and hear some Irish music. Know that the next morning you will greet the sun with a smile and perhaps whistle Irish music you heard the previous day. If you want to attend an event where there is drinking, bring a sober friend.         If you believe, like many, that drinking alcohol is genetically in your Irish bloodline, you can break the chain by seeking recovery for yourself, your family, and your children's children. Recovery is not only possible; today recovery is real. For information or help, call The Council's 24-hour Information, Intervention, Recovery Support Line: 1-800-221-6333    For a free celebration of St. Patrick's Day come and join us at   PRO-ACT's Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center 1286 Veterans Highway, D-6, Bristol, PA    Sunday, March 17, 1:00 to 3:00 pm Food, entertainment, activities--face painting, crafts, Irish trivia, caricatures and more. . . Free of charge and Free of alcohol!   Please call 215-788-3738, ext 107  just so we have a head count www.councilsepa.org