We Get A Lot Wrong About St. Patrick’s Day

How you celebrate may have nothing to do with luck or truth

St. Patrick’s Day comes around each March 17th.

As a kid, I looked forward to figuring out how to wear green to avoid getting pinched by friends.

The idea was quite the opposite of “Pinch me, I’m Irish.” The thought was more along the lines of: Don’t pinch me; I’m wearing green, even if I’m not Irish.

I also enjoyed pinching others who forgot to wear the color we’ve come to know as synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day.

Whether we had any Irish blood flowing through our veins didn’t really matter. In actuality, there’s at least a thimble’s worth of Irish blood in the family somewhere.

Grandma would tell tales of St. Patrick, how he drove snakes out of Ireland, and say that the day honored him.

It turns out the legend has some historical basis, although a wee bit misguided. St. Patrick is said to have given a sermon that drove snakes from the Island.

While the Emerald Isle is relatively snake-free, it has little to do with a sermon and more to do with the island being surrounded by water and cooler temperatures that have the cold-blooded serpents seeking warmer locations.

St. Patrick is also credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland — another falsehood. In 431, Pope Celestine reportedly sent a bishop by the name of Palladius “to the Irish believing in Christ” — before Patrick ever arrived.

These revelations may set you on your heels.

St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish; he was British, and the day we honor him isn’t his birthday but the anniversary of his death.

And that green we’re all so fond of wearing to be pinched or not pinched, to be kissed or not kissed, isn’t even the correct color. The Knights of St. Patrick’s order wore blue, not green.

It seems that the choices we make around St. Patrick’s Day may be more myth than factually based.

Certainly, in college, my friends and I sought out green beer. It was easy to find at any bar near campus, but to enjoy green beer from an Irish pub on the corner had patrons lined up around the block. The memories have more to do with timing and atmosphere than taste.

As a parent, I’d put a few drops of green food coloring in the bottom of the girls’ milk glasses before they got to the kitchen. I’d make a big deal of pouring the milk right before their very eyes so they could see white milk was flowing from the jug, and green milk was being poured into their glasses.

“Magic” of the day was pronounced.

Food can be a magical experience when flavors merry and tummies get filled.

But, it seems that we even got the food wrong. In the US, we often have corned beef, with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Surely, I’ll be making one on March 17th, but true Irish folk would be enjoying cured pork.

If you love bacon, does your inner hero cheer?

Good for you; your heart not so much.

But, it is a holiday, after all, and perhaps a good time for some indulgences.

In Dublin, they may work shortened hours, a true holiday, but in the US it’s business as usual, and most people flow to the bars after work or pick up some Guinness or Killian’s beer to enjoy with a home-cooked meal.

Some may even opt for a more authentic Guinness stew.

To get some authentic flavor of the day, we may have to go back to its roots to see how the Irish really celebrate the day meant to honor their heritage.

In Dublin, it’s Síolta Circus — a family-friendly fair atmosphere, where the streets are filled with dancers and musicians, and the festivities begin on Friday, and go through Monday.

That’s right—four days of celebrating. The nightlife may last until the wee morning hours of the following day.

The entire country celebrates the day, and plenty of pints will be drank.

What about shamrocks?

If a three-leaf clover is good luck, a four-leaf clover is extra rare and even luckier. And, if you find one, may luck find you.

Yes, there will be an abundance of shamrocks to aid celebrations.

The true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day encompasses both religious and cultural elements, celebrating the rich history and traditions, but mostly, the meaning of the day has been drowned out by myths and commercialism.

How do you choose to celebrate the day?