Cities throughout the world have come to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with great fanfare huge parades, and lots of green beer. And, although the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Dublin, Kilkenny and Killarney are now major tourist attractions, there was a time when parades in NYC, Boston and Chicago were much larger. St. Patrick’s Day for the Irishman who had left his beloved Ireland for America or Australia or some other part of the world became a day celebrating his Irishness and mourning his loss of home. While in Ireland, it was a Christian liturgical holiday to honor their beloved saint, Patrick.

Last week’s blog about Disney’s creation of the green leprechaun- look illustrated how commercialism can take a path from myth and legend, to literature and film, and on to many cultural stereotypes. Some of these are fun, some misleading, some downright harmful. I say this as we head into St. Patrick’s Day. A day known not only for glorious parades, Hallmark cards of dancing leprechauns with rainbows and pots of gold, but also a day of extensive drinking. Not only does St. Patrick, Himself, get lost in the shuffle, but the merriment perpetuates the idea that the Irish drink themselves silly.

As someone who has visited many an Irish pub, I can attest to what an unfair stereotype that is. Even when alone, I am  comfortable sitting in a pub all evening and walking back to my lodgings safely. It is possible to sit, sipping one pint all night without being pushed to drink more and without seeing any excess or unruly behavior. Only once did I see a drunken young man come into a bar trying to pick a fight. The matter was handled quietly and the young man  encouraged to leave without major incident. That is not to say the streets of a town like Dingle are not filled with boisterous partygoers on a Saturday night leaving at the close of pub hours -but it is hardly a problem.

We keep talking about Covid as bringing an opportunity to RESET. I think that can even apply to St. Patrick’s Day. Without the parades and crowds drinking green beer, we can still celebrate. I don’t need a big bash, to lift a pint in celebration of Ireland.

I also will play Lisa Kelly’s beautiful song “Deer Cry”, a version of the famous prayer, St. Patrick’s Breastplate in honor of St. Patrick. There are many versions from ancient ecclesiastic  to more nature based. This one speaks to me: https://youtube/34DVkdZAIw4 . It begins:

I arise today, through the strength of heaven,

Light of sun,  radiance of moon,

Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind, depth of sea,

Stability of earth, firmness of rock…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

Slainte!