It doesn't celebrate anything, or at least anything significant. I'm a fan of holidays for sure, but I just like them to be about something or celebrate something such as love or thanks or Christ's birth or resurrection. I'm all about that stuff. But what does St. Patrick's day celebrate? The taking of Catholicism to the Irish? Hardly, no one even knows that and I don't think it's a cause for celebration. It did lead to a long and bloody religious feud that is just barely dying down. Irish culture? If Irish culture means getting drunk, wearing green and getting kissed. Strike one.
Pressure to conform. A pinch if you're not wearing green? Are you serious? Let's teach our kids that they should dress the same as all the other kids or they will be shunned or hurt. Great lesson. Strike two.
No real holiday themed food. I love candied hearts, candy canes and Easter eggs. Coloring something green and telling me it's themed doesn't cut it. Strike three.
The one good thing about St. Patrick's day is that it gives me a good reason to watch the green themed movie Troll II. Still probably my favorite movie after all of these years. I've never laughed harder at anything. Thanks to my friends Maggie and Gordon for watching it with me last night:
My parents live in Ireland and they (the Irish) make a huge deal out of St. Patrick's day but it's never occurred to me to ask why. As far as I know it's just a "hooray for St. Patrick" day", it's not even a date significant to his life or work. But I could be wrong of course.
ReplyDeleteWhat you haven't done here is weighted each pro and con. Con 1: -20. Con 2: -50. Con 3: -40. Pro 1: +105. Total: -5. Looks like the holiday still loses.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're more than welcome.
Love it. I don't like it much either.
ReplyDeleteThose are pretty contradictory statements Caitlin.
ReplyDeleteIn my family it's a big deal.
ReplyDeleteIt is the feast of St. Patrick and traditionally on all feast days in the Anglican and Catholic tradition is a day of thanks and family. In my family we certainly feast and bring our family and friends together and give thanks for many things. We not only celebrate on St. Patrick's day by going to church, eating well, and reflection upon family values and tradition, we do it on St. Stephen's day, the day after christmas and martyred for speaking out against and questioning the hypocrisy of the temple, and many other days that celebrate the Anglican and Catholic Saints. Such as St. Lucy's Day, a martyr for women and christianity.
I know a lot of people do dumb things on St. Patrick's day, but my family and friends celebrate it properly. Giving thanks for our ancestors and family members that made our lives possible, as well as God for relatively peaceful Ireland.
Just letting you know the other side of things :)
I agree about the food. Today we had green eggs, green smoothies, green parfaits, and green mashed potatoes... just not the same as real holiday foods. Someday you'll have the privilege of eating a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Dinner in South Carolina. :)
ReplyDeleteLucy, I think there are some people who can absolutely celebrate St. Patrick's Day legitimately. Catholics and Anglicans for one. The Irish for sure should celebrate their heritage and it's a great day to do it. I just think what people who are neither one of these (or at least don't care about the things you talked about) and are just looking for an excuse to act dumb have done to it has ruined it for me.
ReplyDelete