St. Patrick's Day

Let me start this blog off right: I HATE St. Patrick's Day.

Yup. You read that right. And no, my language was not harsh. I could go a lot harsher, but I reserve that for my birthday, which holds a special place of complete contempt in my heart.

"Why?" might you say. "Why hate this holiday?"

Because of pricks, that's why.

Yes, I'm Irish, but by a small margin that seriously might not even be considered Irish at all. I am more middle European (from Bohemia, and if you don't know what that is, think gypsy country, but now extinct), with some northern such as Denmark and Sweden (I take pride in the Swedish part). But yes, there is some Irish in there. In fact, I believe that I am like most people in America. Most Americans (and I do generalize quite a bit, because I just know that someone is going to hit me back with a statistic on how only 40% of Americans are actually part Irish and blah blah blah go awaaaay), are only a small part of Irish. I don't think I've yet met someone who was 50% or more Irish. This holiday is supposed to be for people who have Irish heritage. And yes, even though you do have SOME Irish in you, in my eyes, it's not really enough to be considered Irish.

Hell, do any of you people actually know what St. Patrick's Day is all about? It was about how a man (shockingly named St. Patrick) brought Christianity to Ireland.

I bet there are some atheists out there freaking out now and trying to take off their green. Or they're too drunk to do it.

Fun facts about St. Patrick: the legend goes that he banished snakes from Ireland while on a fast. He also used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (which is why the shamrock is a symbol for this day; previously, however, it was a pagan symbol in early Ireland that represented immortality/eternal life). AND he also spoke with ancestral warriors who could not have possibly been still living.

Bet you guys didn't know that, huh?

Want to know why you guys don't know that? This is the part that really gets me.

BECAUSE EVERYONE TURNED IT INTO A TIME WHERE ALL YOU DO IS GET DRUNK.

There is no praising St. Patrick and his accomplishments, and if there is, then it's in a drunken stupor to say, "hey man, thanks for this wonderful day of beer where it's beer and beer and socially beer acceptable to drink beer ... beer."

No. Just no.

See, the problem is is that I'm not really just analyzing St. Patrick's Day as well. I'm lamenting the sad state of all holidays. They have been overly commercialized and have far strayed from their original meanings.

Go ahead; get drunk. Just understand WHY you are instead of just doing it because you can. In all honesty, today IS supposed to be a day of celebration (per the Catholic religion dictates). I just don't find it acceptable to do so without actually understanding the history and reasoning. Especially if you aren't Irish. That's what really irks me: not being Irish and "celebrating" just because you can. Or people that are all like, "Man, I'm sooooo Irish" and it's like, yeah, you are, but only 5%, and when else do ever mention your Irish heritage except for today?

And while I'm thinking about it, what's with the people that always ask: "Why aren't you wearing green?" and then they poke you, or pinch you, or whatever the stupid "punishment" is. Uhm, maybe because I'm not Irish? (Like I said, I am, but there are lots of people who aren't, so why would they be forced to wear green? Think about it.)

 And then last night I was talking to a friend, and she said, "I'm getting a whole bunch of alcohol right now for the special occasion. Preparation. It beings." And I asked: "For what?" And she as like "St. Patrick's Day tomorrow! Omg how did you not know that?"

... Seriously? You're going to inquire as to why I don't know what day it is tomorrow when all you are going to do is tell me about how you are going to abuse alcohol for a holiday that you have no idea why you are actually celebrating?

Please.

So, the point of this is to not be a downer. I'm all for a party and celebration and what not. But it's for the right reasons, not this crappy over-commercialization aspect.