St. Patrick's Day, US of A Style

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I declare St. Patrick's Day, USA style, to be a MAJOR DUD.

I do admit that I will be out for breakfast at a bar on St. Patrick's Day morning. I don't have class or have to work that day, and what the hell?

BUT I will NOT be wearing some grotesque, bright green foam Guinness top hat or some pin that says "Kiss Me! I'm Irish!" I will not be consuming anything green that is not normally green the other 364 days of the year. I will not get drunk and subject the entirety of the Metro train car to badly slurred versions of Pogues songs.

St. Patrick's Day = One of two amateur nights per year, the other being New Year's Eve.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:56 (twenty years ago)

OTM.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

Don't forget Halloween, which is like Fall St. Pat's.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:59 (twenty years ago)

corned beef == classic
cabbage == dud

― elmo, patron saint of nausea (allocryptic), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:00 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, no. Since I'm not Irish, it's pretty much just a day. I guess if you delved into the historical aspect there might be something satisfying/interesting about the trip from "unwelcome immigrant" to "good enough reason to dye whole bodies of water", but I don't really have the attention span today.

― Laurel (Laurel), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but at least people can put some elements of originality or creativity into Halloween. I've seen some amazing costumes before, and handing out candy to 5 year olds is an automatic classic.

This said, anyone who dresses like a Leprechaun on St. Patty's Day is an automatic classic. Especially if they dye their hair red.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

NOT TRUE IF SAID PERSON IS JIM BELUSHI

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:02 (twenty years ago)

ESPECIALLY IF SAID PERSON IS JIM BELUSHI.

Its fraught with contradictions, but the main point is - why do you need to ruin a day of fun and drinking with over-commercialization and forced over-drinking? I may get drunk, but its not gonna be because someone said I should.

I am the AUTONOMOUS DRUNK!!!!

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:05 (twenty years ago)

http://www.sta.cathedral.org/~pchu/FarkPhotoshops/Simpsons/leprechaun.jpg

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:06 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, no. Since I'm not Irish

Neither are most Americans who claim to be Irish

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:06 (twenty years ago)

Oh, that picture is AMAZING. Awesome.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:07 (twenty years ago)

wtf!! halloween is the GREATEST DAY OF THE YEAR

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:08 (twenty years ago)

I vote Thanksgiving, but Halloween is certainly in the top five.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:08 (twenty years ago)

I am Irish. On paper, at least.

I liked the parties my mom threw, because she got so excited about celebrating all the stuff she grew up with (she was born and raised in Ireland).

But people walking around in stupid hats and leftover beads from Mardi Gras is dudzone.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I would Halloween Party with you, Slocki.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:10 (twenty years ago)

Hi excuse me The Ape but wtf is up with Arlington and their apparent 2 week celebration of St. Patrick's Day? It's one thing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day amateur-hour-style but a whole different thing to stretch out that celebration for the entire month of March. Infuriating!

― Allyzay Rofflesberger (allyzay), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:11 (twenty years ago)

Only "holiday" stupider than St. Pat's = Cinco de Mayo.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

Halloween is unbelievably classic. Ditto Thanksgiving and the FOURTH OF JULY MOTHERFUCKERS.

xpost - Chicago celebrated St Paddy's this LAST weekend! WHA?

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

Yeah they were doing that this past weekend in Arlington, we went to go to dinner with some friends and it was like, whoa wtf, why are these people confused?

Also Cinco de Mayo is great wtf.

― Allyzay Rofflesberger (allyzay), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:13 (twenty years ago)

Infuriating, but genius as well.

ShamrockFest = 20 dollars to enter, and then 5/beer. Long lines due to beautiful weather last weekend. Supposedly, it was jam packed. So someone is making money on this.

I had school work, so I spent the day on my balcony with gin and tonics and my laptop.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:14 (twenty years ago)

$20 to enter and then regular price beer? Those people were even more confused than I thought.

― Allyzay Rofflesberger (allyzay), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

I can see the beef with Cinco de Mayo. In America it just means "MEXICO DAY." Like St Paddy's day is "IRELAND DAY AND BOY DO THEY LOVE TO DRINK AMIRITE?!"

I'm pro most summer holidays, though. BBQ!

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Halloween is one of the greatest American holidays there is (I'm a fan of all America's non-Judeo-Christian celebrations: July 4th, Thanksgiving, etc. altho New Year's is kinda lame...)

St. Paddy's is just kinda stupid.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

You ain't kidding. I went out later that night to watch some hoops, and there were some FADED people at the bar. Just GONE.

cinqo De Mayo = the day NO black students attend school in LA for fear of Mexican students shooting them. I wish I were making this up.

But I like ice cold Coronas in early May as much as the next guy. Cinqo De Mayo can stay.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:16 (twenty years ago)

DUD: walking into work like it's a normal day (because it fucking is), "Hey! Where's your green?"

― Dave NSFW (dave225.3), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:16 (twenty years ago)

I'm going to buy Jameson's whiskey then drink it.

Clevo celebrates St Patrick's Day this Friday which seems about right.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:17 (twenty years ago)

St. Patrick's Day, USA stylee, is a third-grader's diorama version of the holiday, as reinterpreted by a hyperactive marketing department to inspire overconsumption by xenophobic ignoramuses. IOW, it's classically American! But dud, dud, dud if you happen to have a brain larger than a pea.

― Aimless (Aimless), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:17 (twenty years ago)

But I like ice cold Coronas in early May as much as the next guy. Cinqo De Mayo can stay.

Exactly.

Nice weather holidays are fine by me.

DUD: walking into work like it's a normal day (because it fucking is), "Hey! Where's your green?"

xpost OMG yes.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:17 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha, I forgot that my brother's over in New York right now for St. Paddy's Day!

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:18 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, that shit is terrible. Its the St. Patty's Day version of "Someone's got a case of the Mondays."

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:18 (twenty years ago)

Who cares if they mean Mexico Day, Ireland Day, whatever to people? As long as those said same people do not get in my goddamn way to the grocery store I'm ok with it. The problem is Cinco de Mayo used to not be as widely celebrated and now it is becoming a "thing" so...ugh...bar nightmares. Oh well.

Anyway la Dia de los Muertos is better if just for being creepier so I'll just start boozing on that one.

The "Where's your (color here)?" sentiment for virtually any holiday is beyond me. I'm surprised they haven't started making up stupid shit you have to wear on Columbus Day yet.

― Allyzay Rofflesberger (allyzay), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:20 (twenty years ago)

We have to wear tights and kill brown people at Catholic University on Columbus Day. It does not go well with the local high school.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:21 (twenty years ago)

oh fuck Cinco De Mayo - that's not a real holiday either. I live in a heavily Latino neighborhood and none of the locals give a shit about it. Mexican independence day is actually the 16th of September, and that's when the parties *really* happen (tho yes Dio De Los Muertos is the king of latino holidays, not counting Carnivale - super fun)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:25 (twenty years ago)

nobody ever likes the smallpox blanket i bring to thanksgiving

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:25 (twenty years ago)

Guiness and Ken Livingstone are making determined attempts to drag the US-style St Patrick's Day into Britain.

I'm having none of it: DUD

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

I don't need a special occasion to drink Guinness.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:27 (twenty years ago)

Classic if only because Guinness is on sale for a week at the supermarkets.

― wmlynch (wlynch), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:28 (twenty years ago)

Guinness is inarguably the best thing about St. Patrick's Day.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:29 (twenty years ago)

otm

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:29 (twenty years ago)

You all do know that you can drink Corona on other days in May as well, right?

I just think of too many drunk frat boys going up to Mexican dudes on the sidewalk saying, "Today is your day, my amigo."

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:29 (twenty years ago)

"I am wearing my Tevas in honor of your culture."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:30 (twenty years ago)

Irishness = Classic
Oirishness = Dud

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:31 (twenty years ago)

"I salute your independence with my stained white hat!"

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Dadaismus, I totally found out something AWESOME the other day - my friend's dad, brother, uncles and mom can all speak Gaelic. And they do to each other. Often.

That's hardcore to me.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:32 (twenty years ago)

You mean Irish Gaelic or Scottish Gaelic?

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:34 (twenty years ago)

I'll take Bloomsday over St Paddy's, I think.

xpost do they live in the gaeltacht, or in America, or what?

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:34 (twenty years ago)

Not many ppl speak Scottish gaelic anymore, do they? Certainly less than Irish.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:35 (twenty years ago)

Well, there's far less people in the Highlands of Scotland!

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:36 (twenty years ago)

Pretty sure Irish. Her last name is Mullaney.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:37 (twenty years ago)

they're less and far between

crosspost

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 80 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I've always found far stronger Irish nationalism in the US than I have in Ireland, anyway.

Well, we don't really need to prove anything; few people question my Irishness, what with my pasty skin, red hair, Irish accent and Irish address. I can express any opinion I want and still be Irish. I suppose it becomes a little harder when you're technically American.

Until cheap flights made it easy to get to Dublin for the weekend, St. Patrick's Day was never that big a deal here. Yes, there was a parade, and you wore a bit of shamrock, but that was pretty much it. It's only in the last eight or nine years that it's become as huge a drinkfest in Dublin as it seems to be in New York and Chicago. I'm amused by the fact that we're re-importing our own holidays from the US.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 07:55 (twenty years ago)

St Paddy's day is acceptable BUT St 'Patty's' day is just fucking wrong. STOP IT!

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 08:31 (twenty years ago)

US Bishops say, "Enjoy your Friday corned beef!!"

― phil d. (Phil D.), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 17:02 (twenty years ago)

"Just don't touch yourself while you're eating it!"

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 18:06 (twenty years ago)

Only good thing about St Patrick's Day, as already observed = cheap Guinness. Except I have to drink it in pubs filled with people with silly hats in the shape of pints of Guinness, which negates to the power of a million any pleasure derived from getting a cheap pint.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 20:52 (twenty years ago)

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41444000/jpg/_41444804_crows.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 21:50 (twenty years ago)

oh my. what's the story with that, Ned?

― patita (patita), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 23:28 (twenty years ago)

Some person in Maine and her collection of fake crows getting ready for the holiday. Great.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 23:31 (twenty years ago)

I love the episode of the Sopranos where they go to Italy and nobody understands Paulie's crappy Italian phrases, and he gets laughed at for turning up his nose at the food and asking for gravy on his pasta.

― josh in sf (stfu kthx), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 23:49 (twenty years ago)

Great Scott, Ned! You seem to have discovered the whereabouts of the long-lost, long-coveteted breeding grounds of the Maltese Falcon!

― Aimless (Aimless), Thursday, 16 March 2006 01:22 (twenty years ago)

Someone had to.

Meantime, happy day?

http://www.nationalreview.com/images/logo_stpats.gif

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 March 2006 15:43 (twenty years ago)

http://kuci.org/~nraggett/stupidpatricksmileys.gif

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 March 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Meantime -- and from the NRO, funnily enough -- a trashing of the very thing in the thread title, specifically the apparent backwash in Dublin. But I'll let folks there agree/dispute this as they wish.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:10 (twenty years ago)

And from them as well, a very California 'Irish' take on things.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:15 (twenty years ago)

http://time.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/stpatsm.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:31 (twenty years ago)

"34 million Irish Americans"

I know they have large families but this is pretty ridiculous isn't it?

― Dadaismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:34 (twenty years ago)

Population of Ireland = 4,015,676
Population of Northen Ireland = 1,685,000
Number of U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry = 34,300,000

― Dadaismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:37 (twenty years ago)

What you don't realize is that Ireland had 60,000,000 residents before the famine.

― Allyzay Rofflesberger (allyzay), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:44 (twenty years ago)

No wonder they ran out of spuds

― Dadaismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Friday, 17 March 2006 16:49 (twenty years ago)

also those 60,000,000 in 1803 are all still alive.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 17 March 2006 17:25 (twenty years ago)

How 4.5 Million Irish Immigrants Became 40 Million Irish Americans

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 17 March 2006 17:50 (twenty years ago)

Also should be noted about Irish immigration to the USA is that, iniitally, by far the majority of the "Irish" immigrants came from Ulster and these immigrants would not have considered themselves or identified themselves as Irish at all. They called themselves (and, some of them still do, 300 years later), Ulster Scots. And culturally certainly, they weren't Irish.

― Dadaismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Friday, 17 March 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

The NRO guy uses the useless pun "Shamrockery" and hence his folderol about juice bars and a lost authenticity deserves not to be taken with a whit of seriousness.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 17 March 2006 18:36 (twenty years ago)

But what if the juice is green?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 March 2006 18:36 (twenty years ago)

Thus it is that Dublin these days has a St. Patrick's Day parade of its own, something it never felt the need for until recently.

This is a total lie. Dublin has always had a St. Patrick's Day parade. Every town in Ireland that can afford it has always had a parade, even if it's just the local GAA team wandering up and down the street.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 17 March 2006 23:32 (twenty years ago)

it may just be coincidence but this is the first day in approx. i don't know how many years that i have gotten totally wasted without having anything to eat. this is also the first year that i have really found myself not "getting" st. patrick's day. everyone pretends to be irish for a day? i mean that's cool, and of any country i guess ireland's a good one to pretend to be from, but it just seems really random. i suppose it wasn't once. especially in new york. but it seems so divorced from everything. why not pretend to be italian for a day, or russian, or i dunno, slovakian? they all like to drink too AMIRITE?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 18 March 2006 10:04 (twenty years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8

It goes wooo wooooooo

― kingfish da notorious teletabby (kingfish 2.0), Saturday, 18 March 2006 18:18 (twenty years ago)

And one final nod that sums it up:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41454000/jpg/_41454830_ap_shamrocks416.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 March 2006 23:52 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

My boyfriend's mom hosts a traditional Irish celebration every year. I get so excited for it -- the corned beef, cabbage, soda bread, drinks and zany family members running around and singing... it's almost too much for me

― Surmounter, Monday, 2 March 2009 19:46 (seventeen years ago)

aw. my mom used to make all those things on st p day but we never partied really. maybe i will attempt soda bread this year!

― yur twit (tehresa), Monday, 2 March 2009 19:58 (seventeen years ago)

Someone once told me that what we know of as corned beef isn't actually a thing in Ireland. Can anyone confirm or deny?

― Too Into Dancing to Argue (ENBB), Monday, 2 March 2009 20:00 (seventeen years ago)

i can confirm that we have corned beef. i can confirm that it is not a thing. i was v bemused by this on my first trip to the states.

boiled side of bacon and cabbage is the traditional dish that comes closest. maybe corned beef was moree readily available on the coffin ships, i dunno.

― Anthony, I am not an Alcoholic & Drunk (darraghmac), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:10 (seventeen years ago)

Wait - i can confirm that we have corned beef. Wait - so you mean that you don't have it, right? Just making sure.

― Too Into Dancing to Argue (ENBB), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:12 (seventeen years ago)

that's more or less it, corned beef was the closest equivalent, adopted from the german immigrants who were flooding the usa at the same time (mid 19th century)
xpost

― my aniston-jolie girl (velko), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:13 (seventeen years ago)

OK wait - sorry. I'm confusing myself here. So you do have it but it's not an extremely popular dish or anything, right?

― Too Into Dancing to Argue (ENBB), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:14 (seventeen years ago)

corned beef is like a luncheon meat in ireland.

i am working on the 18th of march this year, which is fine given I'm unemployed and need the money, but still, wanted to go and get drunk in honour of st patrick's wonderful achievements.

― Local Garda, Monday, 2 March 2009 23:22 (seventeen years ago)

yeah, i have had corned beef in ireland, it is v. weird and not the same as us-style

― my aniston-jolie girl (velko), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:25 (seventeen years ago)

I suspect, and someone correct me on this, that what I sometimes eat here in London at those Jewish bagel shops, called SALT BEEF, is v similar to what Americans call corn beef?

Irish corn beef (and possibly British) is like a cold meat you buy in a deli.

― Local Garda, Monday, 2 March 2009 23:26 (seventeen years ago)

or from a tin. it's a morning after cure eaten from the tin for a mate of mine. awful.

― Anthony, I am not an Alcoholic & Drunk (darraghmac), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:32 (seventeen years ago)

that's sick...haven't eaten the stuff since school circa 1994

― Local Garda, Monday, 2 March 2009 23:37 (seventeen years ago)

nobody should eat irish "cuisine" unless they're forced to due to being imprisoned by the IRA

― Local Garda, Monday, 2 March 2009 23:37 (seventeen years ago)

Hey Ronan - I fished that movie yesterday afternoon and I LOVED it. Thanks again, btw.

― Too Into Dancing to Argue (ENBB), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:38 (seventeen years ago)

lol I was up till 7am watching it again, hadn't seen it in a few years. it is one for the ages!

― Local Garda, Monday, 2 March 2009 23:41 (seventeen years ago)

that's sick...haven't eaten the stuff since school circa 1994

oh man, ditto. My mum used to put it on my pieces all the fucking time. Worst meat product known to man.

― Blackout Crew are the Beatles of donk (jim), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:41 (seventeen years ago)

too bad because USA style corned beef is pretty godly.

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:49 (seventeen years ago)

Even up against Spam?

― krakow, Monday, 2 March 2009 23:50 (seventeen years ago)

I think Spam has a bacon edge that saves it

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:51 (seventeen years ago)

Liverwurst?

― How can there be male ladybugs? (Laurel), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:55 (seventeen years ago)

Even up against Spam?

Never tried it thankfully!

― Blackout Crew are the Beatles of donk (jim), Monday, 2 March 2009 23:56 (seventeen years ago)

six years pass...

not very engaged w/ my heritage, but glad some mean old irish-american fuxxors will have a stroke--

Via the Irish Queers:

We are happy and relieved to announce that, after 25 years of struggle, we have won! The NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade has dropped its bigoted ban: an Irish LGBTQ contingent will finally march with its own banner in the parade next March 17th. From the beginning, our demand has been for an Irish LGBTQ contingent to march behind their own banner saying who they are, like all other contingents. Today’s decision to invite the Lavender and Green Alliance does just that! This is a victory for the grassroots organizing, civil disobedience, and street protest of the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization and its successor, Irish Queers. Protests held the line year after year where politics constantly failed. It’s also a victory for our beautiful queer and Irish community of support, stretching from New York City to Ireland and beyond.

― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 19:55 (ten years ago)

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St. Patrick's Day, US of A Style - C/D