[Closed] St Patrick's day

St Patrick was from Wales.

And to answer your question, No. It's just a sell more Guinness night at my local. But then I'm a grumpy git.

No.

I thought St Patrick was a "Roman"?

St Pat was a Gypsy?

Edit, Sorry no Y. 🙂

Do we actually 'celebrate' much any more?

I'll be giving my OH an Easter Egg in a little while. As a semi-millitant atheist I don't do it in remembrance of zombie Jesus, I do it because she really likes chocolate. Ditto Christmas, I enjoy giving and receiving of gifts, spending time with family and friends and taking a week off work. I'm partial to fireworks and treacle toffee so might go to a display on the 5th of November, however the foiling of the gunpowder plot is pretty far from my mind. These traditions are less about the "true meaning" (whatever that is) and more about having an excuse to be sociable.

St Patrick's day is, for most people I expect, much the same; it's an excuse to have a few beers with mates on a school night. For me personally I don't usually bother, but that's because I've a low tolerance for noisy pubs packed to the gills with pissed halfwits these days.

I've a low tolerance for noisy forums packed to the gills with pissed halfwits these days.

*hides*

Nope

[i]I've a low tolerance for noisy pubs packed to the gills with pissed halfwits these days[/i]

I'd have thought that would be a perfect wind-down after moderating on here...

You raise a valid point. (-:

Remotely Irish here, (Irish parents, passport and house out there) quick blast of Sean south on the stereo this morning and got a Kerry top for when I'm out working in north london tonight and that's the limit of my celebrating this year. Celebrate because I'm proud of my roots.

Agree with Cougar. I'm sure it's fashionable to slag it off and look down on everyone who goes out and celebrates it but there's nothing wrong with going out with your mates and using it as an excuse to be sociable or have a night out.

I won't be going out myself as I pretty much never drink in the week anymore but it's reasonable to assume at least some of the people who will be out will have been down the pub anyway, regardless.

its my mums birthday, shes called Patricia!!
(bizarrely my grandparents were paid up sectarian rangers fans from glasgow)

as for paddys day

isnt it all just a huge marketing campaign by guiness?

theres an irish pub at the bottom of our road, theres usually some partying to be had (though last year there was a large fight)

but im not really one for nationalism, let alone for a country I have nothing to do with, i dont believe in saints and Im generally quite grumpy, so No not much here

as for paddys day
isnt it all just a huge marketing campaign by guiness?

It's not, no (though Guinness have hijacked it over the years to sell more of their stuff.) There have been huge parades in Boston and New York, and to a lesser extent in Birmingham before marketing men got involved.

I think its rather sad that people in England pay more attention to St Patricks day than they do for St Georges day.
Not that I give a stuff about any of the Saints days.

[i]St Patrick was from Wales[/i]

Best guess is that hew was a Romanised native Briton from somewhere near Carlisle.

This thread reminds me of an episode of grumpy old men. That said, I agree with you all. Shall we get started on how fake all these Irish bars are as well? You go to some countries and a pub is referred to as an Irish bar. Which minor celebrity are you?

Great grandparents were from Co Mayo, although I'm born n bred Yorkshireman. I may have a Guinness tonight. And a pint of Theakstons on August 1st. And some other beers in between

[i]Do you "celebrate" it even if you aren't remotely Irish?[/i]

About as much as I celebrate St Georges day, so no. (Maternal Grandfather was Oirish).

Do you "celebrate" it even if you aren't remotely Irish?

Yes.

But then Mrs Clubber is N.Irish so I have a good excuse 🙂 Besides it's just a bit of fun once a year.

And it's maybe worth pointing out that 'celebrating it' usually means beef Guiness stew or similar with a couple of pints of Guiness rather than actually going out.

in my younger days yes, but at the time we were known to celebrate St Mon Day, St Tues Day, St Wednes Day etc.

Nope, never.

I'm Irish, I don't.

I don't get the whole plastic paddy thing, fair enough as an excuse to get trolleyed tho.

In fact, I now actually avoid buying Guinness because I hate the constant marketing of it.

Guinness have withdrawn their sponsorship of the NYC St Patrick's Day parade because gay groups have been excluded from taking part

What Cougar said.

Guinness have withdrawn their sponsorship of the NYC St Patrick's Day parade because gay groups have been excluded from taking part

Then I might have one in celebration!

bigyinn - Member

I think its rather sad that people in England pay more attention to St Patricks day than they do for St Georges day.

Most of my schoolmates and neighbours were of Irish descent.

There was a lot of anti Irish and anti Catholic prejudice in the 70's. Paddy's day was a chance to celebrate your heritage without the sneering, small minded attitudes so prevalent back then.

I don't celebrate St George's day because those who seem most insistent that I do so appear to be the same type of people who looked down on my schoolmates back then.
So bollocks to 'em, even though I think England is a wonderful country.

I'm of Irish, Spanish, French and Flemish descent btw, but I'm English.
And I enjoy seeing people having fun.

I'll be giving my OH an Easter Egg in a little while. As a semi-millitant atheist I don't do it in remembrance of zombie Jesus

Easter eggs aren't about Jesus. Egg = rebirth = spring. Even the name Easter predates Jesus.

The more you look at the 'Christian' festivals as they are celebrated today the more you see how remarkably thin the Christian veneer is.

Always go to the supporters club annual dance but that's about it.

Loads of my mates celebrate it vigoriously for days on end but I don't bother really. Not one for saints days really, the religious side of my family died with my granny and granda. Hardcore(in the church going sense) Irish catholics from Donegal.

Personally I saw through religion when I was 12 when I made the decision to stop going to mass. So celebrating saints days hasn't made much sense to me since then.

nope, decided against doing the grauniad cryptic crossword today as it was st patricks day themed, i'm not irish, i'm not relegious ,I don't like guiness and I'm red green colour blind.

You go to some countries and a pub is referred to as an Irish bar

I think in many countries, a normal bar includes table service, a bar where you go to the counter and buy your own drinks is called an Irish bar. So it is defined by a type of service rather than the stylised Irish heritage you get in the UK (although they seem to exist in every country as well).

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That said, I agree with you all. Shall we get started on how fake all these Irish bars are as well? You go to some countries and a pub is referred to as an Irish bar.

Aghh... don't get me started on that! Bloody "Irish pubs" in Madrid: they're not pubs, they're bars dressed up as pubs. The fittings all come from the same get-yer-oirish-crap-here warehouse, exactly the same beers in all of them, little to no atmosphere. And they're about as Irish as I am. Which I'm not.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's day! That's what my grandpa says at least 😀 so that's rule I go by.

Shall we get started on how fake all these Irish bars are as well?

A friend of mine owns an Irish Bar in Paphos on Cyprus. He's Indian.

Can you get anything less Irish than that?

No, nothing to do with me.

Completely foreign concept.

Now, I shall celebrate it provided I get public holiday pay.