By: Maeve McCann | Secretary
Saint Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. There is so much excitement and joy surrounding it. Growing up as an Irish dancer I spent most of Saint Patrick’s day’s going to bars and nursing homes dancing for those who were eager to celebrate. Although, I won’t lie to you, sometimes I dreaded going out and dancing. I loved doing our little routines and the fact that if you messed up, no one would know. I love that anyone is able to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It is always so amazing seeing the amount of people who come together and spend time enjoying good music, food, and dancing.
I love hearing about other people’s St. Patrick’s traditions. Growing up with a father born and raised in Ireland, it was kind of funny listening to other kids tell about their traditions. I remember when kids used to talk about how leprechauns would put gold coins in their shoes. I was always confused because I thought, “Why would the leprechauns skip our house, we’re their friends.” My little brother was the most distraught by this. My mom made up this story that the leprechauns don’t come to our house because we have our own leprechaun. That leprechaun being my dad.
Another tradition I always hear of is corned beef and cabbage. This was another tradition kids at school would talk about all the time, and it continued to confuse me because we did not partake in this tradition. Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret: corned beef and cabbage is actually not a traditional Irish dish. It actually originates in the United States, from immigrants of Jewish and eventually Irish heritage. This among other traditions my family and I did not regularly partake in.
This next tradition, however, my family did participate in. Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, I would wake up for school and my mom would make us green pancakes. It was exciting because we didn’t really do much on Saint Patty’s Day except for dancing at the bars and other places after school. Waking up to that in the morning was something I always looked forward to.
Much like the Fourth of July, there tend to be an insane amount of Saint Patrick’s Day parades. The Newport parade obviously is very popular. The Boston parade is also a big hit, although it seems to bring a lot of chaos with it. Chicago puts green dye in the Chicago River, making their parade a huge success. It is honestly astounding how crazy people go for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Oftentimes you may hear the term “plastic paddy” tossed around during this time of year. It basically means someone who is pretending to be Irish but is not. That term always makes me giggle because I never realized growing up how many of these traditions I guess you could categorize as “plastic paddy” traditions. At the end of the day this holiday is for everyone to gather together and celebrate. Saint Patrick’s Day always reminds me of quality family time.
So, what does Saint Patrick’s Day mean to you?
Cover photo from pixabay.com
