The Truth About St. Patrick's Day....

As I write this, tomorrow will be St. Patrick's Day. Many Americans will use this for an excuse (as if they truly need one) to swill green beer by the litre, wear green (and pinch those who don't), eat corned beef and cabbage as penance for all that green beer, adopt a rather bad Irish accent and pretend they have Irish roots.

In short, many Americans will use this as an excuse to party to excess. Those of us who actually have Celtic/Pict roots will go through the day and wonder what the fuss is about. However, we'll celebrate with everyone else.

There are three things I learned about St. Patrick's Day when I went to Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland in 1997. I share these with you:

1. St. Patrick's Day--Lá Fhéile Pádraig--is a Holy Day of Obligation in Ireland. That means, in layman's terms, nothing opens until after noon Mass--if anything opens at all. Most places that do open are usually for the tourists who come to visit. Parades on St. Patrick's Day in Ireland are a fairly new thing--dating from the 18th century.

2. Many Irish don't like corned beef and cabbage any more than you do. They are more likely to have mutton or salmon, and potatoes for dinner.

3. Green beer is repugnant to the Irish. In fact, the national drink is Guinness--which is a brown stout! If you are successful in turning it green, it's not fit for drinking. Many others will have Harp; it's a lager--but best served without dye.
Sláinte Mhaith--good health to you.

Enough for now.

(Posted 3/16/09)

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