[Joe Sr.]

I hear you.

I was in Dublin a few years back on St. Pat's.  The parade was awesome.  Honestly the best parade I've ever seen.  It just kept going and going and going.

But the locals - at least the one's I know - can't stand it because the City gets flooded with tourists and people are literally vomiting in the street by nights end.

We got in for the parade.  Had a pint or two before it got crazy and headed out to Johnnie Fox's in the Dublin mountains.  My wife actually tried to order Belgian beer and they looked at her like she was from Mars.

[morticaixavier]

Haha!  I don't like St. Patrick's day, but that was funny!

Blasphemy!!!

I suppose there are many things not to like about it, but a St. Paddy's Day celebration does not require drunken stooges vomiting in the street.

If I still have energy after the parade tomorrow, we will take the family to the Heritage Center for traditional music and Irish step dancing.  And draft Guinness at $5 a pop.

I avoid the bar scene as that's just full of tools.  Not that I go to bars much anymore anyway...

I'm upset about it because it's the weekend my girlfriend and I decided to go to Madison, WI to visit some friends.  My main plan for the trip was to go out, drink good beer and eat good food.  Then I realized it was St. Pat's weekend and I thought, "Damn it all! Every bar will be swarming with "Kiss me I'm Irish" tshirt wearing idiots who probably aren't even Irish in the least!"  Oh well, I'll make do and it'll still be a fun weekend.  No Irish in me hence the not celebrating St. Patrick's Day thing I got going on.  Don't really celebrate holidays that don't apply to me or my heritage.

It's particularly ridiculous for the Irish to celebrate st patricks day given that patrick wasn't irish, He was Roman, and he got cannonized for killing irish kings. I am irish, at least a little, but I am not catholic and I do not like drunken idiots.

[hopfenundmalz]

Saint George may never have been in England, but they celebrate Saint George day.  Been there and it was going on in the pubs.  England's flag is the cross of St. George, the red on white flag seen in many paintings of the crusades.

Saint Andrew probably was never in Scotland, and they have the cross of Saint Andrew on the Scotish flag, the white diagonal cross on the blue background.

Of course if one combines the cross of Saint George with the cross of Saint Andrew and the Cross of Saint Patrick (N. Ireland) you get the Union Jack.

Just saying that the Saints are imbraced by many, including the sinners on the Saint's day. 

[cytorunner]

Very nice, thanks for the post.

[bo]

I just wish they'd bring back $.10 green beer night. It sure was fun, if you didn't include the next day.

[Joe Sr.]

It's particularly ridiculous for the Irish to celebrate st patricks day given that patrick wasn't irish, He was Roman, and he got cannonized for killing irish kings. I am irish, at least a little, but I am not catholic and I do not like drunken idiots.

We're drifting way off topic, but...

IMO, "ridiculous" goes at least a step too far.  I would recommend "How the Irish Saved Civilization" as required reading to gain a greater understanding of the importance of St. Patrick not only to the isle of Ireland but to the European continent and Western civilization as a whole.

St. Patrick is credited by many scholars as preserving the cultural and scholarly learning of Rome (read: Western civilization) in Irish monasteries during the Dark Ages. Those monks and scholars who learned under St. Patrick then re-introduced this learning to the continent years later.

For the people and country with whom he is most closely associated (regardless of his Roman/Italian origin) to celebrate St. Patrick is far from ridiculous.

It is a fact, perhaps a sad fact depending on you perspective, that the current celebration of St. Patrick's Day has little to no relation to his historical and religious importance and 99% of those out drinking have no concept of why he was important.  I think it's in-arguable that the bar crowds on St. Patrick's Day are the height of disgusting drunkeness - and I've been there and done that.

Of course, the Christmas has also been co-opted by commercial interest, they just don't happen to be the mega breweries.

[bo]

It's particularly ridiculous for the Irish to celebrate st patricks day given that patrick wasn't irish, He was Roman, and he got cannonized for killing irish kings. I am irish, at least a little, but I am not catholic and I do not like drunken idiots.

We're drifting way off topic, but...

IMO, "ridiculous" goes at least a step too far.  I would recommend "How the Irish Saved Civilization" as required reading to gain a greater understanding of the importance of St. Patrick not only to the isle of Ireland but to the European continent and Western civilization as a whole.

St. Patrick is credited by many scholars as preserving the cultural and scholarly learning of Rome (read: Western civilization) in Irish monasteries during the Dark Ages. Those monks and scholars who learned under St. Patrick then re-introduced this learning to the continent years later.

For the people and country with whom he is most closely associated (regardless of his Roman/Italian origin) to celebrate St. Patrick is far from ridiculous.

It is a fact, perhaps a sad fact depending on you perspective, that the current celebration of St. Patrick's Day has little to no relation to his historical and religious importance and 99% of those out drinking have no concept of why he was important.  I think it's in-arguable that the bar crowds on St. Patrick's Day are the height of disgusting drunkeness - and I've been there and done that.

Of course, the Christmas has also been co-opted by commercial interest, they just don't happen to be the mega breweries.

In a whispering voice, don't invite Joe to the next St. Pat's day party.

[morticaixavier]

Sorry everyone, didn't mean to take the thread down such a serious road. Mr. Sr. you are a well informed man and I would hate to actually have to argue with you about something. 

everyone who wished to, have a safe and happy st. paddies,

[Joe Sr.]

I only know enough to be dangerous... a mile wide and an inch deep as they say.

Sorry for my rant. 

Happy St. Pat's.