Sometime in the first couple of years of my relationship with my Irish-born husband, the topic of St. Patrick’s Day was addressed. In my mind, St. Patrick’s Day was the Mardi Gras/Cinco de Mayo Day of all Irish people. It was a celebration of culture, heritage, and most importantly nationality. Since our first discussion, I’ve discovered that Americans care more about St. Patrick’s Day than Irish people do. Sure, the Irish celebrate it more now because they’ve learned what a big deal it can be to Americans. But from afar, Irish people see the day as an American excuse to drink lots of beer and get wasted. Which the Irish never need a special day for that, being alive is occasion enough. So maybe really it is all about getting drunk and wearing green.
In my hometown of Chicago, we like to celebrate the Irish big time by coloring the river green. The city drops 45 pounds of vegetable dye into the water and holds a big parade. Chicago loves the Irish.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was a solemn occasion where the pubs closed and everyone went to church. For the non-beer drinkers, bars offered a good number of Irish-made whiskeys and other drinks. So if you want to celebrate St. Patty’s Day like the Irish, what do you do?
Grab a pint with a friend (just one) and enjoy some lamb stew or some fish and chips. Corned beef was an American substitute for the Irish bacon. So go for something authentic. But more importantly, spend time with your friends and family–Irish people love a good laugh.
