St. Patrick's Day....what's the big deal?

[killdeer43]

Top o' the mornin' to you! The "big day" is tomorrow but I'm seasonal-holiday confused.

I enjoy a good time but for the life of me, I just don't understand the nutso factor surrounding this day. The things I see going on are borderline silly so of course, Curious Joe surfaces.
Is it just an excuse to consume excessive amounts of green liquids or wear all your green clothes or to be green with envy....?
What's it all about, Alfie?

Under the heading of never-too-old-to-learn, maybe the Irish among us can explain it to me. :?

*And why was I one of the founding members of the now defunct
Irish Carpenters' Guild ?

Too ra loo ra loo ral,
Joe

 

[fronobulax]

I can't find it at the moment but I read a very interesting article suggesting that the American tendency to celebrate other "cultures'" Holidays by getting drunk is somewhat disrespectful but it does give the alcohol industry a shot in the arm. Beer sales are flat in the winter and St. Patrick's Day makes a spike that carries the breweries through until summer.

I can imagine if I were English with a long memory I might want to drink to forget on July Fourth but drinking in honor of Mexican independence or the Christian Saint who could explain the Holy Trinity?

 

[FNG]

I always build a car bomb on St. Paddy's Day. :lol:

 

[killdeer43]

I always build a car bomb on St. Paddy's Day. :lol:

:lol: :lol:
Now I understand!

Joe

 

[killdeer43]

I can imagine if I were English with a long memory I might want to drink to forget on July Fourth but drinking in honor of Mexican independence or the Christian Saint who could explain the Holy Trinity?

Oy!
I'm sure I'm not alone in my mild state of confusion/curiosity. 8)

Thanks,
Joe

 

[FNG]

It is interesting how the origins of the US celebration of St. Patricks Day are lost, or turn into drinking green beer and wearing stupid plastic green hats.

It's a very political holiday, or was originally. Or a holiday fundraiser for the IRA.

And for gawdsakes, the Irish don't eat corned beef. :lol:

 

[killdeer43]

And for gawdsakes, the Irish don't eat *corned beef. :lol:

Don't forget the cabbage!! :wink:

Joe

*I always refer to it as cornered beef. 8)

 

[FNG]

And for gawdsakes, the Irish don't eat *corned beef. :lol:

Don't forget the cabbage!! :wink:

Joe

*I always refer to it as cornered beef. 8)

Interesting read on corned beef. I've always thought that the Irish didn't eat corned beef until they came to the US. Wasn't aware that they made so much of it only to export it to England or elsewheres, and the average Irishman couldn't afford it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corned_beef

 

[mad dog]

This is the ultimate watch your step holiday in NY. Perhaps corned beef has magic properties ... I've never seen more people throw up more voluminously than revelers on St. Patty's day.

MD

 

[rampside]

Hmmmm.....might have to think about this over a couple large glasses of Guinness Stout :wink:

 

[dreadnut]

I just read about St. Patrick today - back in the 500's AD he was a young man from a well-to-do home in England, who was "Shanghied," and sold into slavery in Ireland. After several years he escaped and went back to England, then returned to the Emerald Isle as a missionary. He is credited with bringing the Gospel to Ireland and also with founding several hundred Christian churches.

And I thought it was about drinking green beer :mrgreen:

 

[Daveyo]

Its just an excuse to party.
plain and simple
Dave

 

[NEONMOONY]

In Chicago, the Irish do not find it in the least disrespectful to get drunk in celebration o f a holiday.

 

[davismanLV]

Tonight I had several green margaritas in celebration of St. Paddy's day at one of my favorite places. Zac, are you out there? Everyone asked where you were......

 

[adorshki]

I can't find it at the moment but I read a very interesting article suggesting that the American tendency to celebrate other "cultures'" Holidays by getting drunk is somewhat disrespectful but it does give the alcohol industry a shot in the arm. Beer sales are flat in the winter and St. Patrick's Day makes a spike that carries the breweries through until summer.

With a bit of diligent research one could find a suitable cultural holiday to acknowledge for every week of the calendar and not even repeat for about 2-1/2 years.
Tongan Emancipation Day on June 4th for example, helps to bridge that interminable stretch between Memorial Day and 4th of July.
Finding good Kava to celebrate with can be problematic, though.

 

[zulu]

Tonight I had several green margaritas in celebration of St. Paddy's day at one of my favorite places. Zac, are you out there? Everyone asked where you were......

Green margaritas sure would go great with some of their chips and stellar guacamole. Yum! Say hi to all the friendly folks there Tom! Hope to be back soon.

 

[davismanLV]

Tonight I had several green margaritas in celebration of St. Paddy's day at one of my favorite places. Zac, are you out there? Everyone asked where you were......

Green margaritas sure would go great with some of their chips and stellar guacamole. Yum! Say hi to all the friendly folks there Tom! Hope to be back soon.

You'd have LOVED it, Zac!! They had Shepherd's Pie Empanadas and Corned Beef Sliders with spicy cabbage slaw!! It was amazing! Looking forward to your next visit, my friend..... 8)

 

[specie]

Back in the 70s, I gigged for a living in an Irish band. We booked that way and started/ended each set with an Irish song. In between it was a free-for-all of oldies, folk, C&W - whatever struck our fancy. I played with two guys. We were all Aries, so forget practicing -we just flat-out played and improvised lyrics, whatever. We had Martins, a bass, banjo, fiddle, and a blast!

Needless to say, St. Patty's day was the biggest day of the year for us. We had separate gigs - started with 11-2, then 3-7 and finally the night shift from 9-2AM. The last gig was always a giant drunkfest. We could (and did) just alternate between fiddle tunes and the Wild Colonial Boy over and over. Of course by that time we were pretty wasted ourselves. Honestly we tried pacing the beers, but on St. Patty's, beer always won!

I played a 000-28 which never stayed in tune and you couldn't hear it much through mike, plus my bandmates both had Martin dreads. I wish I'd had my F4 or D40 back then! I played the D40 out for the first time last weekend and it drowned me out! I love the sound and playability thought, so I am thinking of selling the F4 and getting an F30 w/electronics. The F30 seems more like the 000 that was a better size for me. (plus Joan Baez & Eva Cassidy are right in my wheelhouse ; )

Happy St Pat's to all!
Ellie

 

[killdeer43]

Great story for St. Pat's Day celebrating/playing/surviving to see another one next year. :lol:

*Nice pic on your facebook page, BTW.

Cheers,
Joe

 

[adorshki]

I wish I'd had my F4 or D40 back then! I played the D40 out for the first time last weekend and it drowned me out! I love the sound and playability thought, so I am thinking of selling the F4 and getting an F30 w/electronics. The F30 seems more like the 000 that was a better size for me. (plus Joan Baez & Eva Cassidy are right in my wheelhouse ; )

Welcome abaord! Man, you already have a nice little assortment of flavors in your sig, where you been hidin'?