St. Patrick’s Day

If you were one of those who made the last minute decision not to boycott the stiletto heels and sugar rushes of Valentine’s Day, don’t beat yourself up too bad. It’s funny how just the mere threat of abstinence, from even a complete stranger, can fly wallets open everywhere. We spent millions in wilted flowers, stale candy and cards to be tossed for the sake of the saint but forget President’s Day. They can try to assault our patriotism by forcing presidential coins and plates down our throat, but we can somehow overcome without too much guilt. We do know where our priorities lie! Now on March 17th, we will celebrate even yet another saint we know nothing about.

Saint Patrick’s Day is in honor of an Irish priest who originally only dabbled in Christianity for tax purposes. Then he became a “wrong place, wrong time” victim of an assault on his family’s estate by Irish raiders and was imprisoned. It was there, actually out of fear and sake of sanity, that he became a devout Christian and met his destiny. Upon his release he traveled about Ireland, introducing and reforming pagans into Christians and was hence ordained Saint Patrick. He died on March 17th sometime around the 16th century and the Irish have honored him by partaking in dance and drink ever since.

Now you would think that he was probably a midget-like little fellow running around almost shaming the Irish into Christianity by the symbols of leprechauns and such, but he was not. As a matter of fact, it was an American, Mr. Walt Disney, who accidentally introduced that little tidbit of symbolism. After the make of his “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” movie, Americans took on this image of the Irish, thus adding leprechauns into their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It actually wasn’t until mid twentieth century that the Irish decided to capitalize on their green “gem” and opened up their traditions and ceremonies for tourism of outsiders.

So, once again, American retailers have taken what is actually a very religious and sacred day and made it into a spending day. March 17th was entering Lent so the Irish couldn’t feast on meat so they danced and drank instead. We, however, do both and to excess I might add. Through their commercialism, we all dress up like grasshoppers, make horrid attempts at “top o’ the day” and eat green eggs and ham. The only praying I have seen is to the porcelain god and then, by the end of the day, we are amidst a riotous crowd of hostility because some son of a bitch won’t quit pinching us! (I have never figured that one out!)