By: Jennifer Hopf
What began as a religious holiday over a thousand years ago in Ireland is now widely recognized as an international excuse to party.
When March 17 rolls around every year, the Irish and the Irish at heart, break out the shamrocks, corned beef and green beer in honour of St. Patrick’s Day.
Back in the mid-nineteenth century, when Irish Catholics immigrated to North America to escape the potato famine, they were originally portrayed as violent, crazy drunks in the media when they gathered to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day.
However, now everyone pretends to be Irish on this occasion: “Oh yeah, my mother’s uncle’s sister-in-law’s maid is of Irish descent, so I got a little Irish in me for sure!” You might hear such phrases along these lines uttered as an attempt to justify one’s wild behaviour on this day.
But it’s a safe bet many wannabe Irish probably don’t even realize the history behind why they are drinking themselves silly on this day. This celebratory holiday is in honour of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick. March 17 is a religious day of feast for the Irish, and marks the anniversary of the saint’s death. Ironically, it is still traditionally a religious occasion among the Irish, and up until 1970, it was against the law for pubs across Ireland to be open on March 17.
So put those stereotypes aside, for it’s our North American version of the holiday that brings out the rowdy drunken excursions. In fact, the first St. Patrick’s Day parades were held on this side of the ocean.
Now people of all backgrounds, in several countries from Australia to Japan, gather to celebrate along with the Irish and get their drink on. No matter the reason, people all over the world will be turning green – some, quite literally depending on the amount of beer they consume – in honour of St. Paddy’s.
There are hundreds of parades and festivals all across North America; drunken individuals run rampant through the streets proclaiming to be leprechauns, the Guinness overflows from the kegs of every pub, and Tylenol sales are at an all-time high the morning after.
This brings up a good point. How many businesses suffer on March 18 with the majority of their employees calling in sick with a hangover? How many teachers stand at the front of the classroom, staring at the empty seats before them while their students pray to the porcelain gods at home?
St. Patrick’s Day is not an official holiday here, but perhaps they should consider making the next day Official Hangover Day.
Filed under: Entertainment, beer, drunk, holiday, Irish, March 17, St. Paddy's Day, St. Patrick's Day
