St. Patrick's Day is a well-known and widely celebrating holiday loaded with the color green, traditional Irish foods, and copious amounts of drinking.
But I have to wonder: how many people celebrate the actual meaning behind St. Patrick's Day, and how many people just use it as an excuse to get trashed for the day?
Somehow, I feel the difference in that ratio would be quite large in favor of everyone just getting trashed.
My interest in Ireland and Irish nationalism kind of surprises me, especially since my Irish heritage is marginal and anecdotal (apparently my maternal great-great grandmother was Irish?). In fact, I almost feel guilty about it, because I'm more interested in Ireland than Poland, being 50% Polish. But I suppose it really began last semester when I signed up for a special topics course on the Irish Famine in order to earn honors credits.
Of course, I was asked numerous times about how an entire course could possibly focus on the Irish Famine. After completing the course, I can now reply, "Oh, quite easily." Hell, people can make (and have made) careers out of this subject. Our discussions were fascinating and focused not only on the historical background, but also on the social, economic, and cultural repercussions of the Famine. I even wrote a term paper that linked and discussed Irish cultural nationalism to its folklore (oh, fun times. . .).
After such an experience, it brings me to question the whole basis of St. Patrick's Day. Of course, it's celebrated as a feast day of St. Patrick and is also a celebration of Irish nationalism. But how many people really understand that? Moreover, why do so many embrace the stereotype of the drunken, brawling Irish? I mean, if you were to ask a person what's the first thing they think of when they hear "St. Patrick's Day," they will probably either reply "green" or "booze." Not a religious holiday, not Irish nationalism, and not a celebration of an independent and unique culture. (I am, of course, probably making a great deal of generalization, considering that the response to such a question would depend on the region from which the person came from. I generalize that these responses would probably be quite typical of Americans in comparison to the Irish.)
Why do we happily embrace and perpetuate such stereotypes? Is there any difference between the views of a typical American, an Irish-American, and an Irish person in regards to St. Patrick's Day?
This kind of stuff almost makes me want to change majors. Almost. :)
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I think that most people, if they thought about it logically, would be able to guess the origin of St. Patrick's day. The reason it's turned into a drinking holiday is because, if you think about it, would probably come from the Irish immigrants having a good time in America celebrating their national pride and heritage. We get a lot of drunks on the fourth of July, as well. Anyway, it probably just developed into a bawdy fun day to get drunk, considering the majority of us aren't Irish and wouldn't have a reason to know the origins of St. Pat's day.
I have thought about the meaning of St. Patrick's day. I am studying to become a court reporter, and in class we do real depositions and real cases, testimonies and meetings.
One of the literatures (meeting/depo.) someone had, was about St. Patricks day and how it came to be known as St. Patricks day. And it's very interesting actually.
Here's the short story of it: Back then Women were not allowed to ask a man in marriage, It was against the law. So St. Bridget said this was unfair to St. Patrick. St. Patrick said to her, okay, for all the yearning young ladies out there, they were allowed to ask a man to marry her one day. St. Patricks day...during leap here. And if the man refused, he had to pay a price for it. He had to either by her a silk dress, giver her gloves, or a kiss. I think that's very interesting!
I'm half Irish, and half French, and Ireland is so fascinating to me too! I love the history! (they both are to me)
The only reason I either don't like or am indifferent to this "holiday" is because it is only used as an excuse to drink. I find that just...juvenile. I wish people focused more on the history and culture behind it like you do.
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Moreover, why do so many embrace the stereotype of the drunken, brawling Irish?
I think it has something to do with the amount of pubs you can find all over the place in Ireland. While, in Ireland, they are places to talk to people and listen to fun music and eat dinner and just relax with a beer or two, their main purpose in the U.S. is to drink. So, when people here think Ireland, they think of pubs and drinking.
Or that's one theory I was taught in my Irish Dance Class. ;-)
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