As the days grow longer and the chill of winter melts away, it is once again time to embrace the vibrant arrival of spring and, with it, all things green.
The best way to make merry, bring in the new season and celebrate the color green? Why, feast green for spring, of course.
Green and spring go hand in hand. And the symbolic meaning behind this seasonal color association is perfectly in line with all the things Marin seems to love the most: organic farm-to-table dining, community garden projects, farmers’ markets, sustainability movements, environmental preservation efforts and so on.
In short, Marin County going green for spring seems like the most natural thing in the world. And what better way is there to welcome the end of winter and spring head first into the next season than by making merry and feasting on some local greenery?
While the fast-approaching St. Patrick’s Day traditionally calls for a plate of corned beef and cabbage, a pint (or five) of Guinness and a night of revelry, some of Marin’s residents may crave a different approach to the holiday. Yes, wearing green, pinching people and getting wasted is indeed the most mainstream option for honoring the onset of spring…but let’s just say there’s more than one way to get to that pot of metaphorical gold at the end of the rainbow.
Since Marin is already so deep into the health and wellness rabbit hole, it only makes sense to intentionally cultivate traditions that celebrate the community ethos of going green without losing that festive edge. And, as luck would have it, there are plenty of sources for alternative ways to party it up without losing the green, spring vibe and the promise of a feast in the process.
Consider for example the pre-St. Paddy’s day era, before Saint Patrick himself was even a twinkle in his parents’ eyes. Historically speaking, people still partied it up left and right for the arrival of spring. Those folks of old would hold a festival, feast as a community, prepare for the seasonal sowing of crops that would sustain them through the year—they even partook in some spring cleaning in a surprisingly long-lasting tradition one wouldn’t expect to be quite so old.
Times have changed, but people haven’t. Human beings still love to gather together to eat their hearts out, drink and be merry in celebration of spring. And sure, some traditions have evolved in strange and unexpected ways (looking at you, beer with green food coloring). But weird outliers of tradition aside, what just about everyone wants is to celebrate the end of long nights, short days and cold weather with family, friends and great food and drink enough to fill the belly and warm the heart.
Despite the eons between those ancestors who first celebrated the spring equinox and the more modern folks of today, both are just as drawn to the seasonal call for renewal, rebirth, a fresh start and the traditional symbol for all these inherently human things: the color green.
What all this amounts to for the people of Marin today is an invitation to celebrate the color green—and spring itself—without resorting to neon jello shots and “Kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirts.
Instead of feeling trapped into the obligatory St. Paddy’s Day pub crawl, those inclined can celebrate a green spring with a fresh outlook, a fresh feast and a fresh moment of reflection on the color green and its personal meaning. In the same vein, locals celebrating the new season can look for opportunities to nourish both their bodies and the planet at the same time with downright delicious festivities that’ll give all season long.
So, I suggest one get started on that homestead, grow an herb garden from seed, look into foraging and put wildly tasty wild mushrooms, seaweed and more on the menu or perhaps consider making a chicken coop for an endless supply of eggs (especially smart given the current egg economy). Even those who are understandably far too busy for all of that can still feast green for spring by becoming a regular at one of Marin’s many eco-conscious restaurants and breweries. The world is your oyster—quite literally at restaurants like Hog Island and The Marshall Store.
Green Scene
“Feast Green for Spring” is all about connecting with the land in sustainable ways with delicious results. One may explore along with the rest of the county how to go even more into the green in gardens, kitchens and restaurants alike. After all, spring is the best season to celebrate the North Bay’s culture of local sustainability, seasonal produce, gardening projects and sustainable eating practices.
Springtime traditions have changed and evolved as the centuries have come and gone, but the reasons (and seasons) stay largely the same despite the passage of time. Now or thousands of years ago, spring was and is still the season when gardens are planted, salads and leafy greens reign supreme and just about everyone shares in that itch to go outdoors, touch some grass and enjoy the sunlight.
Just take a look outside at all the Marinites who are, as we speak, running into nature on some shared, subconscious instinct. It’s hard to miss—there are Marinites on bikes, Marinites on hikes, Marinites milling about garden shops left and right, Marinites at farmers’ markets enjoying the seasonal delights…And why? Well, possibly because spring is the season for welcoming in those simple, ritual festivities—for gardeners to flex their green thumbs, for diners to feast on leafy greens and for naturalists to bask in the glorious onset of unfurling leaves with an organic snack in-hand.
In Marin, residents are lucky enough to live in a place where this connection to nature is alive and well. Why not continue the existing tradition by using this change in seasons to find new ways to live sustainably, eat mindfully and honor the planet that gives so much green?
One may go out and raise a glass to spring at Heidrun Meadery, sipping seasonal and sustainable honey mead whilst sitting amidst the flowers and the bees. Or they may savor an in-season dish at a local farm-to-table restaurant like Barefoot Café. Green Jeans Garden Supply is a place where one may peruse organic offerings. And they can enjoy a moment basking in the natural beauty of the North Bay’s many state parks with a glass of lemonade, daydreaming about the season to come.
Now, more than ever, is the time to show love to Mother Earth and to ourselves. And, of course, to feast on the green of spring with every sense in every way. One may taste the green of spring on the tongue, feel its touch on the fingers, savor its sounds, take in its scent and enjoy feasting their eyes on this spring’s green.
