Monday, March 17, 2008

What? This is a Holiday?

I have this friend who is convinced that all Americans want to be Irish, and that fewer of them have Irish ancestry than claim to. I think he should take into account the stereotype that the Irish are known for following the injunction to procreate, so it's not totally impossible for all the Americans claiming Irish ancestry to be telling the truth.

Also, this same friend is convinced that I am one of said Irish-wannabe Americans. But he is in error about this; I have never claimed to be Irish. I do claim, however, to have relatives in Ireland. They're not actually Irish either.

Be all that as it may--or may not--today is St. Patrick's Day and I keep forgetting. I'm far more apt to remember and get excited about St. David's Day, largely, I expect, because hardly anyone has heard of it, so it hasn't had the chance to get all obnoxious. I think that, like Cubicle Reverend, I find St. Patrick's Day manifestations over here to be less than compelling, and more than irritating. I also feel like telling everybody that they should have been celebrating it last week, because the Catholic Church tried to move it this year. But of course, that wasn't really going to work.

7 comments:

jasdye said...

right. i had just heard that they had moved it to the fifteenth b/c of the holy week.

seemed to work in some parts of chicago. but the slow pub crawl probl. explains why traffic was so slow today.

Annelise said...

Interestingly enough, although I absolutely love living in Ireland, I have no desire to be Irish! I will say that Irish who live in Ireland are more lovable (in my opinion) than Irish-Americans who pus the Irish card too hard!

The Pope directed that St. Patrick's Day was to be on Saturday, but even here in Ireland, most cities did not comply. Dublin celebrated yesterday.

christianne said...

I agree about the Americanization . . . when you consider who St. Patrick is and what he meant to Ireland, the proliferation of leprechans and four-leaf clovers is just, well, insulting.

Kirk and I are big on Ireland. We wish we were living there right now. We do what we can to connect with Ireland by giving thanks for "Irish days" that include big huge clouds in the expanse of sky, grayness, dewiness, and a heightened sense of green in the environs. And, for the record, I'm half-Irish. :)

Annelise said...

BTW, you DO have Irish blood through Dad's great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Burris. We can't find records of her here and wonder if her name was not transcribed properly (maybe it was Burns?). But she came from somewhere in the northern counties....

Jennwith2ns said...

Jasdye--yeah, I'll bet it was.

Mom--that's kind of funny. St. Patrick's Day trumps the Pope?! And I remembered about Dad's ancestor, but I really don't think one woman is probably enough to warrant the typical American "I'm Irish" thing.

Christianne--have you been? You should go!

christianne said...

Oh yes, Jenn. I've been twice. The first time was on my first trip to Europe. I went on a cruise/land tour of Ireland, England, and Wales. It was amazing. And the second time, it was to get married! And then Kirk and I drove around the west coast of Ireland, down south, and up to Dublin for 10 days of our honeymoon. That was amazing, too.

Anonymous said...

On St. P's day i found myself at the Magic Kingdom. It was by sheer coincidence that we were all garbed in green - the identifying color of the day. Boy, was that an unintended, consequential dissaster!

The turkey legs are phenomenal, BTW.

Have a good one.