Tomorrow we will celebrate the feast day of Saint Patrick, and all things Irish. No matter your provenance, on March 17 everyone may claim to be a child of the Emerald Isle. St. Patrick must have been quite a guy. He is the symbol of Ireland, and credited with driving out snakes.
As it turns out, he wasn’t even Irish. The patron saint of Ireland was born in Scotland at a time when the country was under the rule of the Roman Empire. He was captured and brought there as a slave.
And that snake thing? Well, there never were snakes in Ireland. Evidently the waters around the island are too frigid for snakes to migrate there. The saint supposedly cleansed the isle of pagans, symbolized by snakes. (History.com)
But who cares if the myths are a bit fuzzy on facts? His day is celebrated by people all over the globe.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in Boston — not Ireland — in 1737. In the U.S., there are parades in dozens of cities. The biggest celebrations are in places with a large population of Irish descent. New Orleans is one of the oldest. They began parading for this holiday in 1809 (Wikipedia).
In New Orleans, St. Patrick has to share his holiday weekend with St. Joseph, the favorite of Italian-Americans. Both patrons have parades one day apart. (And you thought the parades ended with Mardi Gras — how silly!)
The processions are quite similar in colors and style. Green and white are in both flags, therefore the predominant colors. Ireland’s flag has a band of orange, and Italy’s a stripe of red. Both parades feature small marching groups of men with staffs of paper flowers, which they give to ladies along the route, sometimes for a kiss. This is great fun!
In New Orleans, long strands of beads are a desired throw. But the Irish marchers hand out cabbages and potatoes to add to your stew pot. Members of the crowd know to bring a bag to tote home the loot.
Of course, Mississippi wouldn’t think of missing out on a reason to have fun. There are several bashes on our coast. The most famous is Mal’s St. Paddy’s parade in Jackson. This event will go down in history for introducing the Sweet Potato Queens to the world. That wacky group of wild Southern belles has gained infamy, and spawned over 6,000 clone groups. You can learn more than you ever wanted to know about founder Jill Conner Browne and her big-haired minions at sweetpotaotqueens.com.
A bit of advice, though — do not overindulge in green beer. It will stain your mouth the color of a bright spring shamrock. Just stick to wearing your green clothing. It is much more flattering.
So, have fun tomorrow, wherever you are. And remember to say “Erin go bragh” a couple of times throughout the day. It means, “Ireland Forever!” However, you don’t have to mean it. After all, the Irish are legendary for their gift of blarney.
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina. Email reaches her at [email protected].
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina.
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