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Erin Go Braugh
Author: BobR    Date: 03/17/2010 12:30:25

Tis St. Patrick's Day, let the festivities begin! As everyone in America knows, today is the day when everyone claims some Irish lineage, wears tacky green clothing, and gets blotto drunk. Somehow, this is supposed to celebrate the rich tapestry of Irish history. The reality of course, is that it's just another excuse to get drunk, wear silly clothes, and party. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Everyone knows that the day is associated with St. Patrick, but not much else (other than some nonsense about him driving all the snakes from Ireland). Today is the anniversary of his death in 461 AD. The holiday began sometime before 1600 and has been celebrated ever since. It began as a religious holiday, and has gradually evolved into what we have now. The reason for the drinking is that it was originally considered a one day break from Lent, so parishioners would drink and feast.

But what about the green stuff? Where did that come from? St. Patrick originally taught the "Holy Trinity" to the native people using the 3-leaved shamrock. As a symbolic nod to this innovation, the Irish would wear a shamrock on their clothes on St. Patrick's Day. This has evolved into wearing green things in general, and hideous affronts to fashion specifically. In Ireland, though, they still honor the tradition, which may be in jeopardy this year due to a shamrock shortage.

Back here in America, there will be no shortage of tacky green stuff (including tacky green beer), and people will wear shirts and sweatshirts with Irish slogans and greetings. One of the most common is "the luck of the Irish". One has to wonder what luck they are referring to. One only has to listen to the beautiful yet morose Irish folk songs to know that they've had a hard lot in human history. There's is a history full of wars and hardship through the centuries, even up to the Sinn Fein-led independence and then the Troubles as an epilogue.

Those that tried to escape the potato famine didn't fair much better. They faced discrimination, hatred, and mistrust on a level much worse than current immigrants (legal and otherwise) face today. Like the "Hispanics" do nowadays, the Irish worked hard and built America, and were spit upon for their efforts. Some were conscripted into the army immediately upon setting foot on shore, and shipped off to fight for the Union army during the Civil War. The Statue of Liberty has this passage engraved in its base:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.


Has that ever really been true?

Some towns and cities have chosen convenience over tradition and already held their St. Patrick's Day parades over the weekend (commerce trumps tradition in America), but there are still plenty of things to do today. Just try to remember the history behind the holiday today as you celebrate, and be respectful of the culture of a people that - despite the hardship and hatred they've faced through the centuries - still allow all of us to be honorary Irish for a day.

And please - skip the green beer and drink some real Irish beer. If you don't like Guinness, there's always Smithwicks and Harp...

 

54 comments (Latest Comment: 03/17/2010 22:33:41 by TriSec)
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Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 12:44:37
MOrning



I claim no Irish heritage but I would still like to say Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone.

Comment by velveeta jones on 03/17/2010 12:54:51
Day 5 in Noro Virus world. I don't think I've been this sick with a virus EVER BEFORE! I am feeling much better today (yesterday I slept most of the day). Though I am about to re-introduce food to my body..... so I'll check back and let ya'll know.







Oh, Happy St. Patty's day... no beer for me. But if the food thing works out I will have a Kale juice.

Comment by Scoopster on 03/17/2010 12:59:17
Morning all!



Ah the luck o' the Irish has struck me today, for this evening I shall be meeting up with an old friend o' mine and partaking in the green (if you know what I mean!) for the first time in a good while..

Comment by BobR on 03/17/2010 13:03:54
Quote by Scoopster:

Morning all!



Ah the luck o' the Irish has struck me today, for this evening I shall be meeting up with an old friend o' mine and partaking in the green (if you know what I mean!) for the first time in a good while..


Nice!

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 13:06:55
Quote by velveeta jones:

Day 5 in Noro Virus world. I don't think I've been this sick with a virus EVER BEFORE! I am feeling much better today (yesterday I slept most of the day). Though I am about to re-introduce food to my body..... so I'll check back and let ya'll know.







Oh, Happy St. Patty's day... no beer for me. But if the food thing works out I will have a Kale juice.
Oh Vel -- I do hope you will be feeling better soon...



Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 13:16:18
Good Morning!

Comment by velveeta jones on 03/17/2010 13:17:27
Quote by Scoopster:

Morning all!



Ah the luck o' the Irish has struck me today, for this evening I shall be meeting up with an old friend o' mine and partaking in the green (if you know what I mean!) for the first time in a good while..




Very cryptic Scoop.

Comment by Scoopster on 03/17/2010 13:40:03
Quote by velveeta jones:

Day 5 in Noro Virus world. I don't think I've been this sick with a virus EVER BEFORE! I am feeling much better today (yesterday I slept most of the day). Though I am about to re-introduce food to my body..... so I'll check back and let ya'll know.







Oh, Happy St. Patty's day... no beer for me. But if the food thing works out I will have a Kale juice.


Ouchie! I'll raise a toast to vibe you some health later on then..

Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 13:47:01
sound like chris may have tweeted something he wasn't supposed too and got caught - uh-oh

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 14:00:38
/dennis Kucinich is about to give a presser... here we go!

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 14:07:24
Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 14:11:28
THANK YOU DENNIS!!!!!!

Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 14:12:19
Thanks Dennis

Comment by clintster on 03/17/2010 14:20:51












Erin Go Bragh!

/woulda made a shamrock, but I'm not that patient this AM.

Comment by velveeta jones on 03/17/2010 14:28:50
Sometimes many small steps will get us to the goal faster than one BIG step. THANK YOU Dennis!!





Comment by TriSec on 03/17/2010 14:38:12
Howdy folks. Despite working in South Boston, this here Italian/Filipino/American is not wearing the green today.



But me papa, re-married to a fine Irish Lass, celebrates his 76th birthday this weekend...we'll save the appropriate festivities 'til then.



Our parade was held at the height of the deluge on Sunday, fyi. And yes, they still hate the gays. I don't know when the all-inclusive Cambridge parade was held this year; there was no coverage in the local papers.



And our local crisis has passed...the Moody Street dam was declared sound this morning. Water is starting to secede. (Yes, it hates the government too.)





Comment by livingonli on 03/17/2010 15:08:50
Good morning everyone.



Now I want to know the tweet that dare not speak its name.



The Spectrum channel on Sirius XM is playing Irish music all day today. Expect a lot of Van Morrison and U2.

Comment by clintster on 03/17/2010 15:12:36
Quote by livingonli:

Good morning everyone.



Now I want to know the tweet that dare not speak its name.



The Spectrum channel on Sirius XM is playing Irish music all day today. Expect a lot of Van Morrison and U2.




And Sinead, and Clannad, and the Corrs, and Black 47, and Thin Lizzy, and the Pogues, and the Cranberries...

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 15:14:35
Quote by clintster:

Quote by livingonli:

Good morning everyone.



Now I want to know the tweet that dare not speak its name.



The Spectrum channel on Sirius XM is playing Irish music all day today. Expect a lot of Van Morrison and U2.




And Sinead, and Clannad, and the Corrs, and Black 47, and Thin Lizzy.
How about this? Whiskey your the Devil



Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 15:22:55
Quote by livingonli:

Good morning everyone.



Now I want to know the tweet that dare not speak its name.



The Spectrum channel on Sirius XM is playing Irish music all day today. Expect a lot of Van Morrison and U2.






My curiosity is peaked too

Comment by starling310 on 03/17/2010 15:27:14
ME TOO! I WANT TO KNOW THE TWEET!

Comment by starling310 on 03/17/2010 15:28:16
So basically, the livestream is watching Chris for 3 hours? Okay then.

Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 15:28:43
Isn't it in the COnstitution that the Court has be there for the state of the union?

Comment by livingonli on 03/17/2010 15:29:37
In search of Chris's forbidden tweet.



Hi How's things been

Comment by Scoopster on 03/17/2010 15:29:46
Quote by clintster:

Quote by livingonli:

Good morning everyone.



Now I want to know the tweet that dare not speak its name.



The Spectrum channel on Sirius XM is playing Irish music all day today. Expect a lot of Van Morrison and U2.




And Sinead, and Clannad, and the Corrs, and Black 47, and Thin Lizzy, and the Pogues, and the Cranberries...


What no Dropkick Murphys or Floggin Molly?!

Comment by Scoopster on 03/17/2010 15:30:12
!!!

Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 15:30:27
!



The livestream only happens when Hal is there - when you can hear then during the commercials its rather funny

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 15:35:13
Quote by starling310:

ME TOO! I WANT TO KNOW THE TWEET!


BIG KISS! Hi

Comment by livingonli on 03/17/2010 15:35:26
Quote by wickedpam:

!



The livestream only happens when Hal is there - when you can hear then during the commercials its rather funny


I really need to set the router up which has turned into a warped project because it looks like I need a new monitor for my desktop so I can't use the cable modem on my desktop.

Comment by starling310 on 03/17/2010 15:45:24
Hello all! things have been busy! Leaving not much time for my blog friends, except sometimes on Work from home days. But got a good review, a raise, and a bonus. *ding* So,it's been worth it! I'll be out of debt soon...hopefully before the crash of the dollar.

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 15:46:00
SO I am wondering where Barack Obama is going to build the Department of Peace...

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 15:47:28
Quote by starling310:

Hello all! things have been busy! Leaving not much time for my blog friends, except sometimes on Work from home days. But got a good review, a raise, and a bonus. *ding* So,it's been worth it! I'll be out of debt soon...hopefully before the crash of the dollar.


That sounds like wonderful news all around!



Especially the Debt part! Nice work

Comment by livingonli on 03/17/2010 15:51:55
Momma's dogs have been running rampant in Manhattan, it sounds like.

Comment by starling310 on 03/17/2010 15:55:28
The Livestream should be called "The 5 minute delay" stream. What kind of internet do you need to have for that to actually be in sync with the voices? I've got cable internet.

Comment by TriSec on 03/17/2010 15:58:16
Dropkick Murphys were down the street from me...they played at the L Street Brownie breakfast this morning.



(Yes, they do other things than leap in the harbor on New Year's Day.)





Comment by wickedpam on 03/17/2010 16:05:19
Quote by starling310:

Hello all! things have been busy! Leaving not much time for my blog friends, except sometimes on Work from home days. But got a good review, a raise, and a bonus. *ding* So,it's been worth it! I'll be out of debt soon...hopefully before the crash of the dollar.






That's fab news!

Comment by TriSec on 03/17/2010 16:13:37
Oh, and happy Evacuation Day to all the locals...





On this day in 1776, British forces are forced to evacuate Boston following General George Washington's successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights, which overlooks the city from the south.



During the evening of March 4, American Brigadier General John Thomas, under orders from Washington, secretly led a force of 800 soldiers and 1,200 workers to Dorchester Heights and began fortifying the area. To cover the sound of the construction, American cannons, besieging Boston from another location, began a noisy bombardment of the outskirts of the city. By the morning, more than a dozen cannons from Fort Ticonderoga had been brought within the Dorchester Heights fortifications. British General Sir William Howe hoped to use the British ships in Boston Harbor to destroy the American position, but a storm set in, giving the Americans ample time to complete the fortifications and set up their artillery. Realizing their position was now indefensible, 11,000 British troops and some 1,000 Loyalists departed Boston by ship on March 17, sailing to the safety of Halifax, Nova Scotia.



The bloodless liberation of Boston by the Patriots brought an end to a hated eight-year British occupation of the city, known for such infamous events as the "Boston Massacre," in which five colonists were shot and killed by British soldiers. The British fleet had first entered Boston Harbor on October 2, 1768, carrying 1,000 soldiers. Having soldiers living among them in tents on Boston Common--"a standing army" in 18th-century parlance--infuriated Bostonians.



For the victory, General Washington, commander of the Continental Army, was presented with the first medal ever awarded by the Continental Congress





Comment by velveeta jones on 03/17/2010 16:56:19
Q: What'dya call an Irish girl that's a feminist:



A: Erin Go Braugh-less!





(I'm here all week folks)

Comment by TriSec on 03/17/2010 17:00:06
Hey folks.



You know, I pride myself on maintaining the "separation of Church and Scouts" (A scout is Reverent, but we have no official religion, nor do I even try to witness for Christ or any other religion; I leave that up to the parents).



Nevertheless, a Cubmaster Emeritus and former Committe Chair forwarded me this link.



Faithful or not, you all know what to do, right?





Comment by velveeta jones on 03/17/2010 18:48:25
Quote by TriSec:

Hey folks.



You know, I pride myself on maintaining the "separation of Church and Scouts" (A scout is Reverent, but we have no official religion, nor do I even try to witness for Christ or any other religion; I leave that up to the parents).



Nevertheless, a Cubmaster Emeritus and former Committe Chair forwarded me this link.



Faithful or not, you all know what to do, right?







Nice! Done and done!



Comment by Mondobubba on 03/17/2010 19:08:20




(Steve Earle singing "Dixieland" warning NSFW language, but Steve talking about war, slavery, class and what being an American is about is worth a listen)



Bob great blog today. The video link I posted is a tribute about one of those Irishmen who enlisted right off the boat. As an added bonus it mentions one of my personal heroes, Joshua Chamberlin.

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 19:33:17
Confirmed: Sinus infection.....

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/17/2010 19:41:34
Quote by Raine:

Confirmed: Sinus infection.....




Yay?

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 19:55:23
Quote by Mondobubba:

Quote by Raine:

Confirmed: Sinus infection.....




Yay?


ZITHROMAX DO YOUR MAGIK!

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 19:55:45
Hey Mondo!

Comment by livingonli on 03/17/2010 20:01:19
Quote by Raine:

Quote by Mondobubba:

Quote by Raine:

Confirmed: Sinus infection.....




Yay?


ZITHROMAX DO YOUR MAGIK!


That sucks. Hope it does the magic.



:Bewitched like nose twinkle:

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/17/2010 20:18:31
Quote by Raine:

Quote by Mondobubba:

Quote by Raine:

Confirmed: Sinus infection.....




Yay?


ZITHROMAX DO YOUR MAGIK!




Zithro rox!

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/17/2010 20:19:14
Quote by Raine:

Hey Mondo!




Howdy!

Comment by Raine on 03/17/2010 20:21:30
In case you haven't seen the Video of anti HCR protesters mocking a man with Parkinson's...



They are really horrible people.

Comment by clintster on 03/17/2010 20:32:35
Quote by Raine:

In case you haven't seen the Video of anti HCR protesters mocking a man with Parkinson's...



They are really horrible people.




Was that one guy saying "Keep Obama's hands off my Big Mac"? Seriously?





Seriously though, the footage of the compassionate conservatives doing everything but spitting on the Parkinson's patient is a disgusting display of the worst of humanity.