Kiss Me!

“Is this a private fight, or can anyone join?”

Irish folk saying

“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,

For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”

G. K. Chesterton, “The Ballad of the White Horse”

“This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever.”

Sigmund Freud, Father of Psychoanalysis

 

It’s that time again.  Time for every red blooded American to turn green.  Time for the wearin’ o’ the green.  Time to kiss the blarney stone, and kiss the pretty lads and lasses.  Come March 17^th it’s time to find that three leaf clover, hug a leprechaun, and pretend you’re Irish.

Time for St. Patrick’s Day.

Like so many celebrations the myths and misconceptions abound.  While St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland he wasn’t born there.  He was born in Briton, and at the age of 16 was kidnapped and sold into slavery on the emerald isle.  After fleeing back to his homeland he was converted to Christianity, and returned to Ireland to convert the Irish.

One commonly held myth is that St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland.  While it’s true there are no snakes in Ireland today (at least of the reptilian nature), evidence shows there never was.  It was the ice ages that banished the snakes, not the Saint.  This myth is more representative of his banishing the pagan religions by his conversions to Christianity.

Although the rare 4-leaf clover is often a symbol of good luck, it is the 3-leaf shamrock that people use to adorn their clothing on this holiday.  This comes from the tradition of St. Patrick using the 3 leaves of the clover to explain the Holy Trinity.  Although any 3 leaf clover or similar plant will suffice, the “true” 3 leaf clover of St. Patrick is said to be the plant known as Trifolium dubium, the official shamrock.

Until the 1970s St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t even observed in Ireland.  It may have been noted by the village priest during that week’s sermon, and Irish families may have celebrated with a larger than normal dinner.  Then Ireland awakened to the potential of St. Patrick’s Day Tourism Dollars.  Faith and Begorra!

The holiday in America began as a way for Irish immigrants to celebrate their heritage.  One such early St. Patrick’s “parade” was an informal one, held by Irish soldier fighting with the British in New York City in 1762.  The parade then, as now, was to connect with their Irish roots.

Parades honoring St. Patrick, and Irish heritage soon followed in Boston, Massachusetts; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina.  As the country grew and moved west so did the St. Patrick’s Day traditions, especially in cities with large Irish populations, such as Chicago, Illinois.

And the traditions flourished.  Above all was the wearing of the green.  Most young children today know that if you don’t wear green on St. Paddy’s day you’re likely to get punched!

In 1962 one of the organizers of the Chicago parade took the wearing of the green up to a whole new level.  Steve Baily, also head of the plumber’s union, noticed that the green dye used by plumbers to help trace leaks would also turn worker’s clothes a bright green.  So why not turn the Chicago River green to make it Irish too?

Putting green food coloring in the copious amounts of beer consumed on this one day has long been a tradition, as well as adding verdant dyes and coloring to just about everything else.  But beware the next day, what goes in must come out!

And people love their green beer on St. Patrick’s Day!  Green, yellow, or brown beer gets consumed and consumed in a big way!  By some estimates beer consumption more than doubles on this one day.  A fully stocked bar or liquor store can make more than 1% of it’s annual sales on this single day.  The beer tab for America in 2013 was estimated at $245,000,000 dollars. 

People love to have fun with anything Irish on March 17^th.  Take for example kissing the Blarney Stone.  This bluestone slab was built into the battlements of Blarney Castle in 1446, and tradition holds that if you kiss the stone you will be blessed with the gift of gab.  To kiss the stone you first must ascend to the castle’s peak, then lean over backwards on the parapet’s edge.   Today there are staff to help hold you and iron railings to guide you, but the dizzying height and awkward position can certainly induce a mind numbing veritigo!

Having a holiday named after a saint devoted to such frivolity may seem a little strange.  A holiday devoted to the patron saint of Ireland, drinking green beer, and wearing tee shirts emblazoned with “Kiss Me I’m Irish” may even seem sacrilegious.  Yet Patrick has become more a symbol of a people and a proud cultural tradition then a religious figure.

So pass the green beer, the corned beef and cabbage, and give your special someone a big kiss.

On St. Patrick’s Day we’re all Irish.