Why Irishmen toss cabbages at St. Patrick’s Day

If you’ve ever attended the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade, chances are you’ve collected a handful or two of airborne cabbages. Luckily, there’s a story behind the odd tradition.

In 1845 during the potato famine, Irish families turned to cabbages with bacon as their next big staple food. But when immigrants arrived in America, they often couldn’t afford the bacon, and used corned beef instead. Corned beef and cabbage is an Irish-American culinary staple today, and people throw cabbages in honor of the vegetable’s distinctly Irish tradition.

Join the fun at this year’s parade Saturday, March 12.

– Mallory Messina, Plush Appeal – The Mardi Gras Spot