In an Irish Home

Celtic Cross at Gettysburg (Photo credit: jimcrotty.com)

On Thanksgiving Day the following were among the most popular search engine terms that led people to In an Irish Home:

1. Irish Thanksgiving Prayer

2. Irish Thanksgiving Blessing

3. Irish Grace for Thanksgiving

4. Irish Blessing for Thanksgiving Dinner

5. Irish Blessing at Thanksgiving

Folks, I want to be very honest with you…Thanksgiving is not an Irish celebration. There is no special prayer, blessing or grace for Thanksgiving because the holiday does not exist in Ireland.

If you are looking for a form of Grace or a Prayer for mealtime that is typically Irish, I can tell you that I have only ever heard two in all my 20+ years of living in Ireland and they are:

Bless us, O Lord,

and these thy gifts

which we are about to receive

from thy bounty

through
 Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~

Bless us O God as we sit together.

Bless the food we eat today.

Bless the hands that made the food,

Bless us O God. Amen.

I know this may not be what you want to read but I want you, Dear Readers, to know what really goes on behind the hall door of an Irish home. If, by chance, you know of any other grace or prayer that is said in Ireland, please do tell. I am always happy to pass good things on.

If you are looking for one of the many beautiful Irish toasts and blessings, some of which may be appropriate at mealtime, you can find many Irish blessings and prayers at inanirishhome.com at In an Irish Home.

But, if what you’re looking for is a traditional prayer before mealtime, one that is recited in homes all across the country, what you read above is what you’re after. As always, I wish you all the best.

Additional Notes, Related Articles & Credit:

* Prayers recited in our Irish home for lent may be found Irish prayers for lent.

** I learned to pray the Rosary properly with the help of my amazing mother-in-law, Mary Rose. How to pray the Rosary is what she taught me: in life it has served me well.

*** A poem that is often recited at Irish funerals includes the one known as Miss Me – But Let Me Go poem.