IN the only year I spent at a catholic school, I initially struggled to understand why St Patrick’s Day (St Paddy’s) was such a significant event?
I mean it was a great excuse to wear civvies at school (even though our colour pallet was reduced to green) it was still a fun school day that was also interrupted by a mass in the morning! Why did my parents take me out of that school?
St Paddy’s Day celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, who was actually taken by raiders in Scotland, who then sent him to Ireland.
During his enslavement, he was converted to a Christian and weirdly enough, he had prophetic dreams about leaving and saving Ireland.
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He then went on to become a bishop and converted Irish pagans into Christians for more than 40 years.
Legend says, St Paddy, used the three-leaf clover to explain the holy trinity symbol to the Irish pagans. That’s why the clover is a major St Paddy’s Day symbol, just like the Christmas tree for Christmas and a heart for Valentine’s Day.
Most holidays use symbolism to identify and celebrate the day but I don’t know why and how St Paddy’s day become such a fun drinking day for young adults. Every draught lover ditches their staple drink for a good ol’ Guinness!
Celebrating St Paddy’s Day went from going to church and wearing green at school (for my one year at catholic school) to getting rowdy and dancing to bad electronic music at a local Irish pub.
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The heavily textured stout originated in Ireland and South Africans love their alcohol, which means we’re only going to celebrate St Paddy’s Day by doing what truly brings the youth together, drinking.
At your local Irish pub, be sure to look out for obnoxious drunk guys who act like they have a degree in Guinness beer-tasting, girls with green co-ordinated outfits (keep at it girls) and anything that relates to Irish culture, so leprechaun mimicking and imagery, old Irish sports jerseys and anything that involves Connor Macgregor (please stop doing that stupid walk, lads).
The best way to celebrate this day is by having fun at your local Irish pub, doing anything that relates to Irish culture and look up American-Irish culture, that’s how this holiday was commercialised.
St Paddy’s day is better than Christmas because; you’re not buying gifts for anyone, get drunk without any judgement from uptight relatives, everyone wears green at church and you can cheat on whatever you’re fasting for lent on St Paddy’s Day! This year it’s on Tuesday, 17 March.
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