March 17: St. Patricks Day 2014 Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. But for some, association with the Emerald Isle on March 17 can induce a level of spirit that the true Irish can’t stand. Whether it’s donning stereotypical Leprechaun hats, downing Guinness or dying nearby rivers green, St. Patrick’s Day has become synonymous with public drunkenness and debauchery. “It’s inclusive if it’s a sign of respect; annoying (or at least unfortunate) if its a sign of herd mentality,” Joe Lee, a professor of Irish studies at New York University, told the Washington Post referring to “honorary Irishness” on St. Patrick’s Day. “Good if maturely celebrated; bad if just an excuse for moronic drunkenness for creatures steeped in stereotype.” But St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t always an excuse to wear green and get drunk. The holiday was initially a minor holiday in Ireland. It was only in the 1970s that the holiday grew in popularity and breadth. St. Patricks Day was basically invented in America by Irish-Americans, classics professor Philip Freeman of Luther College in Iowa told National Geographic. On March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. As Irish patriotism grew among American immigrants, the annual holiday began to grow in popularity with different “Irish Aid” societies holding annual parades. In 1962, as immigrants began to spread throughout the United States, a new annual St Patrick’s Day tradition was born in Chicago. In 1962, city pollution workers dyed the Chicago River green to commemorate the holiday. Today, St. Patrick’s Day has become an international celebration. Beginning in 1995, the Irish government made March 17 a national holiday in an effort to boost tourism. Today, approximately 1 million people attend the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin. #MayTheLuckofTheIrishbeWithYou [Internal Business Times]
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:46:27 +0000
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