Luck of the Irish

[Neko_Bast]

I was wondering how Irish pagans feel about St Patrick, and if they celebrate St. Patricks day. Also if you do, how do you feel about the Catholic church saying that there can be no St. Patrick day celebrations on St. Pattys day because it lands in Holly Week, the week befor Easter.

(read about it in the newspaper)  

[CuAnnan]

Neko_Bast

I was wondering how Irish pagans feel about St Patrick, and if they celebrate St. Patricks day. Also if you do, how do you feel about the Catholic church saying that there can be no St. Patrick day celebrations on St. Pattys day because it lands in Holly Week, the week befor Easter.

I loath St Patrick.
I loath the fact that he was made our patron saint.
I loath the fact that he has become synonomous with Irish Culture when he personally (as can be read in his letters to rome) detested it.
I loath the fact that mainstream history teaches that he came with peace and converted without the sword where, if you know who to talk to {and these people are not neccessarily pagan} you get a different story altogether.
However, St Patricks day has become about more than St Patrick. It has become a day to celebrate the Irish Culture. While I hate the man and all he stood for (convert by sword and fire), St Patrick's day has nothing to do with St. Patrick any more. Not the man, anyway. The Catholic Church broadcast this edict every year since I was about 15. The local church priests ignore it and extend the same stay of lent that they always have.
The parade will go ahead on the same day it always has, because we stopped taking our ques from Rome when they tried to tell us to jail people for seeking divorce information and abortion information.
The 'power' of the RCC has diminished in this country to the point that I only know two Catholics in my generation who know what Transubstantiation is and believe in it.
I tried it with my sister yesterday. I asked her what communion is. She told me it was bread. I asked her if that was all. She said yes. When I explained it to her, she thought I was bugnuts. My mam turned around with "Ciara" (that's her name), "if that were the case, I wouldn't go to mass".
Catholicism is the crazy old uncle of Ireland who spouts crap like "in my day, x wouldn't happen." who continuosly ignores the newspaper reports as heathen propoganda.  

[ShadowSharrow]

St patricks day does not equal paddy's day.

One is the feast of a chistian saint that some here despise,
the other is a so called celebrations of Orishisness ie getting drunk and ripping of tourists.

This year the saints feast day ( saint patricks day ) is being moved todays back to the 15th of march as the 17th is good friday.
Where as Paddy's day is still happening on the 17th of March which is good friday which is going to upset a lot of tourists when they learn that you can not buy alcohol ANYWHERE in the country and all the pubs and restaurants are usually closed.

Last year on good friday I was in temple bar watching and laughing at all the british stag and hen nights wandering around lost and stunned as no where was open.  

[Neko_Bast]

Cuchullain--- Wow.... Thats very interesting. I don't acutally know a lot about St. Patrick and have never really done anything on his day besides wear green xd I guess St. Patrick's day is a lot like St. Valentine's day in that nigher is really a saints day anymore.


ShadowSharrow--- acutally the 17 is on a monday so it can't be good friday. last year sounds like it was really funny biggrin  

[scorplett]

ShadowSharrow

St patricks day does not equal paddy's day.

One is the feast of a chistian saint that some here despise,
the other is a so called celebrations of Orishisness ie getting drunk and ripping of tourists.

This year the saints feast day ( saint patricks day ) is being moved todays back to the 15th of march as the 17th is good friday.

The saints day of religious observation is indeed being moved to acomodate holy week in the catholic calander... No it's not good friday, but it seems there is a problem with there being a saints day in the midst of holy week!
No one here will mind too much because there is a bank holiday for the 17th and for many they will then get Friday 21st off and also Monday 24th...

Thanks for bringing this up... it's made me go look at the events and see what i might pop along to!

Generally I think I would more or less concur with the sentiments already made.
While there is a lot of the truth and also mythology of the saint of which I don't have any time for, there are aspects that I do think about.
I always enjoyed the celebration part as a kid... going to the parade, big family dinners and all that..
Now with the whole thing as a full festival it means there are lots of cool cultural events on...
Ceilí dancing with 600 odd other people on a city street drenched in sunshine is a hoot!
Skyfest fireworks is spinetingling
It can be a fun time... but more often than not I would prefer to not have to watch my city which I love be trashed in the name of a sasnach saint!

Paddy's day for a lot of Irish brings a love hate reaction be they pagan or otherwise!  

[ShadowSharrow]

Oh did I get the dates mixed up ?
Can't say I keep track really of when good friday is other then my kids are off school for the 'easter' break.  

[ShadowSharrow]

scorplett

It can be a fun time... but more often than not I would prefer to not have to watch my city which I love be trashed in the name of a sasnach saint!

Paddy's day for a lot of Irish brings a love hate reaction be they pagan or otherwise!

Well it's all you ancestors fault razz  

[TeaDidikai]

Better late then never.

I have a shirt I wear once a year. It's meant to be reminiscent of the flag without being so overt as to conflict with common attitudes towards national symbols.

The front reads thus:

Morn for those whom St. Patrick did kill
and the faerie he drove back under the hill
this year 'stead of drinkin' go
toll ye the bell and know
T'was Pat that did end up in Hell  

[Striga]

I've got sort of an unusual outlook on it.

About 90% of my family is from North Kansas City, where for reasons more practical than symbolic, the big celebration is not St. Patrick's Day, but Snake Saturday, the Saturday immediately prior to St. Patrick's Day.
I realize that this was intended primarily so their parade wouldn't have to compete with the St. Patrick's Day parade in Kansas City proper (and to ensure it's always on a weekend), but I like the inadvertent symbolism they came up with.
I'd like it better if it was after St. Patrick's Day, mind you, but hey.