Is this a thing? It could be a thing.

I'm curious to know if any of you other parents have heard of this. One of our daughters came home last night, upset (not really) that the leprechauns visited her friends houses, but didn't visit ours. "What was up with that??" she asked.

I asked what she meant.

"There were all these green footprints all over the place, and they had a treasure map, and they had to go around the house following clues to find the pot of gold. Why didn't the leprechauns come here??"

The five-year old chimes in, "Yeah, mommy. At school we haded to find the leprechauns and we finded gold and eated it."

I was dumbfounded. I felt like what my Jewish friends describe feeling about Xmas.

What the heck, man?

When did yet another mythical creature come into the fold to visit the kids of the house and HOW WAS I NEVER MADE AWARE OF THIS??

Yes, I could feign anger or frustration at corporate America for taking a perfectly good holiday about beer, rebranding it and commercializing it. Again. I could get annoyed at them for shoving a cereal box character (and yet another holiday to plan for) into my household to give my children trinkets. Of course I could.

Except I am exactly the kind of person that would take this leprechaun thing to the Nth degree, WAAAAAYYY past where the Hallmark’s and American Greeting’s wanted it to go in the first place. Next thing you know, in my house, we have a treasure CHEST that the kids must find. And instead of some lousy foil covered chocolates, jewels and green clothing and toys get left instead. And story books about Irish legends, unless you’ve been bad, in which case you don’t even get a potato. Next thing I know, we're leaving out corned beef and beer for the wood nymphs who drive the magic chariot made of clover.

It's already a feast day at my house. Like I really needed to be pushed that hard into accepting more gooey fun-iosity for the kids?

Rrrright... for the kids. Because I do it for them and not at all to sate my constant desire to build new traditions/stage events/ throw a party. (You should see our Arbor Day. Just sayin.’)

So I ask... has anybody else heard of the leprechauns visiting and leaving footprints, gold-foil chocolates and the like?