St. Patrick’s Day began as a Catholic observance in honor of – who else – St. Patrick, the most recognizable patron saint of Ireland. Legend has it that he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland, although some research suggests that the term “snakes” may have actually been a euphemism for [...]]]> Erin go bragh!

St. Patrick’s Day began as a Catholic observance in honor of – who else – St. Patrick, the most recognizable patron saint of Ireland. Legend has it that he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland, although some research suggests that the term “snakes” may have actually been a euphemism for Druids and other pagans.

A traditional Irish family. Notice how tentative those smiles are, as if immediately after the picture was taken a humongous argument broke out. That's what makes them so traditionally Irish.

Over the years the holiday has taken more of a secular turn in the mainstream and become a day of celebration of all things Irish. The image of the Leprechaun dancing a jig around a pot of gold has displaced crotchety ol’ St. Patrick yellin’ at those blimey pagans, and the wine representing the blood of Christ has been replaced with lukewarm green beer. There are still many die-hard Irish Catholics that observe the holiday for its intended purpose as a day for reflection of past mis-deeds, sacrifice, shame and guilt. Which is to say they treat it just like any other day.

It is also one of those rare days (the other example being Super Bowl Sunday) that elicit movements to make the day after a federal holiday so that people don’t have to drag themselves to work the next morning. To that I can only say that if you know ahead of time you have to go in to work and still drink yourself to the point of not being able to wake up the next day, that’s on you. It’s not the United States Government that has a drinking problem.

New York State government, on the other hand? Sick, self-destructive, abusive to loved ones, a chaotic lifestyle, constantly broke, late with paying its bills, issues of personal identity, and unable to manage its day to day affairs. Yep, our State government is the prototypical alcoholic.

Which brings us to the crank file.

The Irish are known to hoard their potatoes and swim around in them like Scrooge McDuck and his money bin from "Ducktales."

For me, there’s something disconcerting to me as an Irish-American about the manner in which this holiday is observed and presented. Firstly: yes, alcohol is engrained in our culture, just as it is in so many others. On the other hand, there is a perception of Irish as out-of-control rowdy alcoholics who are prone to self-destructive behaviors and acts of violence that becomes exacerbated on this holiday. Lost in this is the fact that we also have a great cultural history, particularly when it comes to our writers. We should also be recognized for our perseverance and loyalty, particularly when it comes to the potato. So loyal are the Irish to their beloved vegetable that when the crop died, rather than change their diet they starved themselves. On the suggestion that they eat something that doesn’t involve or include potatoes, they proudly exclaimed “No! I’d rather DIE.”

Unfortunately, the mainstream focuses their attention on the darker side of our culture. Even in areas like ours, where the Irish population resides in abundance, we are given the short end of the stick. Oh, how nice it would be if we celebrated and observed the accomplishments of local Irish-American greats like longtime State Legislator Jack McEneny (one of the only politicians I’ve ever known whom I would say was genuine to his core) and Pulitzer Prize winning author William Kennedy. Instead, we celebrate the accomplishments of Bobby O’Dell, who last year wore a beer helmet for twenty-four consecutive hours in observance of the holiday, or Crazy Jim McGinty, the fightingest fighter that ever fought in a fightin’ Irish bar.

The other thing that bugs me is how comfortable non-Irish folks get with wearing green plastic hats, shamrocks, and slogan-heavy t-shirts without having any real knowledge of my people’s culture, history, or attitude. I mean, think about it. Isn’t it a bit odd that people who aren’t Irish walk around with t-shirts, stickers, and other adornments that read “Kiss Me, I’m Irish”? Beyond being a straight-up lie, if I walked around in a t-shirt that said “Say it loud: I’M BLACK AND I’M PROUD,” I don’t think I’d get the same reaction.

Oh well. There’s not much I can do about it, and while these things bug me they don’t greatly offend me. My people are known for our sense of humor about ourselves, and as such I take it all in stride. Another important trait is our incredible guilt, especially those of us that are Catholics. We’re far more concerned about what we’ve done to upset our loved ones and God to spend too much time worrying about our culture being exploited or misrepresented.

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On a final note, to those of you that will be celebrating the holiday: please be safe. If you’re going to drink, please do so responsibly. If you’re not going to drink responsibly, please do not drive and/or have a designated driver available.

Also, two great services are providing free cab service. If you’re in Troy, look for the “Netters Fund” display or ask your bartender about it and you’ll get a cab free of charge (at participating locations). Throughout the capital region, you can call the law firm of Martin, Harding & Mazzotti at 1-800-LAW-1010 for a free ride home all night long.

Regardless of how you go about it, don’t drink and drive. Because if you do, I’ll come and find ye and bust yer lip wide open, ya basterd! *breaks bottle*

Sorry about that little outburst. I couldn’t help it. I suppose it’s just the Irish in me.