St. Patrick's Day

[tamborileru]

Hello, friends!

 

In Spain we don't use to celebrate this day because St. Patrick (in Spanish, San Patricio) is a bad known saint.

 

But I love Irish traditions (I love most of Spanish traditions too), and I'd like to celebrate (at home) this day. But I need some ideas. I know St. Patrick's day is a big celebration in Ireland/Eire and the U.S.A., and I'd like to know how is this celebration in your country.

 

Do you make something especial this day?

Is there any tipical food to eat at St. Patricks's day?

Is there music in live? (in this point, I suppose that the answer is "yes").

 

Tell me, I need ideas. And I like to learn.

[polkabeast]

For St. Patty's Day this year in Denton, TX, my new Irish band, THE LADS, will debut at one of the world's coolest pubs, Dan's Silverleaf.

 

On Monday nights, this particular establishment serves domestic drafts for $1, and imports for $2. So I will drink copius amounts of $2 Guinness so that I'll be good and lubed up to sing our first song, A Pint Is All I'm Wantin' Anymore.

 

In this band, I play concertina AND autoharp, though obviously not at the same time. Neither instruments feel the brunt of my neglect.

 

Ironically, a place called Fuzzy's Taco is in the same strip as Dan's Silverleaf, so I'll probably eat Mexican food on St. Patty's day. But, gosh darn, the shrip tempura tacos with feta cheese and Louisiana hot sauce are soooooooooo good. Try not to be "green" with envy. Ha.

[m3838]

In San Francisco Saint Patrick day is celebrated by folks of Irish (half, third, quarter, fifth) descent with wearing green T-shirts and telling everyone that they are of irish (half, third...) descend, as though it wasn't obvious from the look at their green T-shirts. Perhaps Public Radio includes a show with Irish folk music (but they do it year round anyways). Other than that it's pretty much ignored. After all, Saint Patrick wasn't pederast, was he?

Oh yea, when I had a fancy to bring my concertina to the park on Saint Patrick day, some green shirted dudes approached me and knowingly said " That's a nice looking bag pipes". Since they were drunk, I didn't argue, but played a few tunes, which they didn't recognize. But we had a good chat and good time in a nice park with great view of the City. What more can you ask for?

P.S.

Most of all they were amused to find that I'm from Russia, know how to play Irish "Bagpipes" and can play a few (like 3) Irish tunes, that they didn't know.

[Anglo-Irishman]

Here in Germany, the thing to do is go to an Irish pub (every large German city has several, most small towns at least one) and drink Guinness. Often the pubs have live music that evening, usually with an Irish flavour, perhaps even played by Irish musicians.

 

I do it differently, of course. I play the music!

 

My group interFolk has been playing Paddy's Nite gigs in the same Cafe for longer than we can remember - at least 15 years! I'm the singer and play concertina (of course) plus 5-string banjo, mandolin and whistles. I'm one of those singers who talk more than they sing, so I try to get the message across why we celebrate Patrick, why we wear green to do so, and why one should drink as much Guinness as possible (the latter is so that the landlord will have enough takings to pay our fee ).

 

I always enjoy talking about Patrick, because I was born in Ballymena, almost within sight of Slemish Mountain, where Patrick spent his youth. So he's sort of my neighbour - though about one-and-a-half millennia older ...

 

Cheers,

John

[asdormire]

Oddly enough, the City of Dublin where I live was one of the earlier Irish settlements in this part of the US, which I believe may have even predated the Statehood date of 1803, but if not relatively close thereof. I don't have the information off hand, but I have researched it, so the city will have a do with bands and intoxication. At the other end of the county south of Columbus proper, the Irish Catholic club (the Hibernian Club?) will also have a do. The City of Columbus I believe has a parade as well. And every bar in town will have some sort of celebration, doctoring up the beer to make it green. So really, it is more of a bacchanalia then a celebration of a Christian Saint.

 

Alan

[McIsog]

In Chicago:

 

If you are a student - take the day off. If you work - call in sick (say you're feeling a bit green).

 

Wear green. Add a touch of Paddy's Irish Whisky to your morning Coffee. Drink it all day. (Seriously) Make up a thermos of the stuff because today you are going to be Marching in the St. Paddy's Day Parade. Expect 0 Degrees C with rain or sleet.

 

You will be done marching about mid afternoon. Find a pub with decent food and music. Get in there quick, make it all the way to the back it will just get really crowded in front. Get a seat on the bar closest to the WC make sure your friends can defend it. And start drinking.

 

Don't forget to wear as much loud bright green clothing as you can find. Buy a 2$ plastic (green) hat.... etc.

 

Keep going till you fall off your stool.

 

That is how most people in Chicago do it.

[Jody Kruskal]

Tell me, I need ideas. And I like to learn.

 

Dear Tamorileru,

 

As you can see from the posts, the main idea is beer, music is good, then more beer.

[Aogan]

Well I hope you all enjoy yourselves. Be comforted by the fact that Ireland is the least fun place on earth to celebrate Paddy's day. There you all are wishing you were here, and here we all are wishing we were somewhere else

 

Seriously though. One of my most unpleasant experiences is Dublin city centre on Paddy's weekend.- Rough.

[Phantom Button]

In the old days I used to milk the holiday for whatever I could and rake in the cash. These days I've decided it's not worth it considering the damage it does to subject myself to the ignorant drunken Paddy-for-a-day eejits that roam the streets. I prefer to hide in my apartment and wait till it all blows over, and then I come back out and resume my normal ITM related activities.

[ceemonster]

[How is this celebration in your country?]

 

Appalling.

Edited February 27, 2008 by ceemonster

[Larryo]

To add to what Aogán says- if you don't get offered a gig in Ireland on Patricks Day you can't be much good and if you are any good you wouldn't take it !

[RustyBits]

Up here in Belfast, Maine most folk of Irish descent (most of us are Irish/French Canadian in this area) wear green. The latest tradition in Belfast is to go out to Three Tides, the local pub, and drink good beer while listening to Old Grey Goose, the Local most-fabulous traditional music band.

[seanc]

In the land of Boston..

 

It is generally a bacchanalian celebration.. Where they serve Both types Guiness AND Green beer! Most bars will get any sort of semblance of an Irish band... I knew a very Jewish guy that plays in a klezmer band, but they will break out the Irish tunes once a year to get the bar gig and have a break from Bar-Mitzvah circuit.. I think his name is Sheldon Mc O'Goldfarb (at least on St. P's he becomes Irish and nobody seems to notice or mind).

 

The younger people tend to over do it rationalizing that it is Good to be sloppy drunk on this day. Which in hindsight, may be the reason for the "offical holiday".

 

We do have a parade.. Well, did. Do we still, I am not sure any more?

The LGBT people demanded to be included in the parade and that has pretty much killed it.

 

And also, to add insult to injury, it is a State holiday of "Evacuation day". In context of St. Patty's you can draw your own conclusions..

 

Lots of corned beef is served.. A non Irish tradition that was adopted by the Northeastern Irish from the NY Jews, presumably as a substitute to an Irish Pot roast?

 

It is a holy day of obligation. So, those of the Catholic persuasion will generally go to mass..

 

Bostonians, does that give a glimpse?

[McIsog]

On a smaller scale in the Chicago area -

 

St. Ignatius Parish throws a party every year usually the Saturday night before St. Patrick's Day. Included is the usual fare of Corned Beef and Cabbage as well as brown bread and soda bread. Some sort of Salmon dish has been served as well. Beers include Guinness and Harp. Tea and coffee are also served.

 

There is also a stage - where you can see the Trinity Irish Dance troupe (Mark Howard - the founder is a classmate of mine and an alum of St. Iggy's), the Shannon Rovers piping. Local fiddlers like my niece Maggie Cusick and an occasional band or two playing ITM. I have seen poetry recited in the past but I missed the last few years...

 

Most people wear *some* green or Irish knit sweaters etc. Kids are welcome and it tends to be a 'family affair' and as such the crowd is generally well behaved.

 

Dan

[viejomc]

In the rich farmland of southeastern Oklahoma.

 

My grandfather always insisted on planting his Irish potatoes on St. Patrick's Day in memory of his ancestors. Fair weather or not, sometimes in the mud, we planted potatoes on that day.

[David Levine]

On the west coast of Ireland (Co Clare) it can be a lot of fun. In Ennistymon the whole town (well... maybe fifty people and Willie Daly) turn out for a parade that lasts about four minutes. Except if it's raining it may last ten. Then we'll go to a pub and have some tunes. I've never noticed anybody to get any drunker than usual. Nowhere near the besotted stupidity of Americans - of Irish descent or otherwise.

[Stephen Chambers]

It is a holy day of obligation. So, those of the Catholic persuasion will generally go to mass..

Though, just to be confusing, this year is an exception and it won't be a holy day of obligation for once, since it's a "transferred feast" and Church celebrations of St Patrick's Day will take place on 15th March! This is because Holy Week always begins the Monday after Palm Sunday, which is early this year and happens to be Monday 17th March - but it's the first time since 1913, and the last time until 2160 that the traditional date of St Patrick's Day will fall in Holy Week.

 

It seems the Vatican had intended transferring the day to early April (can you imagine!), after Easter week, but at the request of the Irish bishops it agreed to the March 15th date as this would be closer to the civic celebrations.

 

In Ennistymon ... maybe fifty people and Willie Daly...

So are you saying Willie is no longer to be counted as a 100% person these days, perhaps more horse than man? (Shades of The Third Policeman - though that was a bicycle!)

Edited February 28, 2008 by Stephen Chambers

[Phantom Button]

I was in Ireland once around the time of Ash Wednesday. Here in SF it's like any other Wednesday, unless you happen to be Catholic I suppose, but in Ireland everyone's Catholic it seems. I remember wondering why everyone put out their cigarette on their forehead. No one was smoking so until I asked someone I thought it was a national Irish holiday from smoking or something.

Edited February 28, 2008 by Phantom Button