Saint Patty's Day

March 17 is just another day for me. Although my family is descended from Irishmen, this holiday goes uncelebrated, but not totally unrecognized. My dad will offhandedly mention how today is as Irish as it gets and I like the attitude of "Come on, it's Saint Patty's Day, everyone's Irish tonight." Seems to me, this day is one of the most peaceful; nature's starting to bloom more and men are celebrating brotherhood and potatoes.



On Saint Patrick's Day, I am more proud of my ancestry than any other day, though it is a bit weird to have what I claim as my culture shoved into my face all at once and then have it disappear the next day. Irishmen are notorious for owning luck and so of course I lay claim to some luck as well, even though I am the exact opposite of a leprechaun. Most people wear green and pinch others who are clad in colors besides. I do not wear green for two reasons. I feel I don't have to with my blood how it is (not the most sane reasoning but it makes sense to me); at full length, my beard is red around my chin and my eyes are green. The other reason is that I do not own anything green. Oh well.



Snakes despise this day, full blooded Irishmen love this day (another excuse to drink, to fulfill the common stereotype), and I am somewhere in the middle. This isn't really a minor's holiday. Without alcohol, March 17 is just a day full of green and pinching and bad accents and stereotypical jokes. I don't really consider it a holiday at all but I am proud that those that I claim as my people at least have a day to them(/our)selves.



(At the risk of being questioned and interrogated, I am not advocating the use of alcohol. Merely stating that other than to partake of liquor, wear green, pinch others, and talk in a mocking fashion, there isn't much to do on or remember of this day (for the average person).)(I am pretty sure that today is a celebration of the liberation of Ireland from snakes by Saint Patrick.)