"Ah, The Wearin O' the Green..."

Did you ever notice how so many people thoroughly enjoy getting into the spirit of this popular holiday? At school today I was amused and cheered to see how many high-schoolers were wearing green, quite a few of them really getting into out-doing each other with crazy leprechaun outfits or died hair!

Personally, I think part of the appeal of our “Americanized” St. Patrick's celebration is where it falls within the seasonal calendar. Temperatures are beginning to warm up (pretty much throughout the continental U.S.), and everyone is more than ready to shed the dark colors and heavy sweaters of winter. With Easter only a few short weeks away “spring fever” is taking hold, and it seems that everyone is looking for an excuse to celebrate the end of winter and just – break out.

Originally a feast day for a beloved Catholic saint, St. Patrick's Day brings a whole lot more to the American Public these days than just the “wearin o' the green.” Numerous cities and towns across the U.S. host parades and festivals, with most local bars and taverns offering some form of Irish beer (or beer died to various shades of green). With so many opportunities to party, who can't love St. Patty's Day?

America has been touched heavily by the Irish, with many relocating here in the seventeen and eighteen-hundreds, slowly migrating across the continental United States by wagon train. Many families can today trace their heritage back to at least one Irish ancestor, and those of us who can't still like to think they're just “a little bit” Irish!

Indulging in the customs and traditions of the holiday, anyone can be Irish for the day. Dreaming of green hills, thatched-roof cottages with flowers at the window, and the commraderie of a small village at a local pub, we imagine a land of eternal spring as our snow melts and seasonal rain showers begin.

Some might consider the holiday useless and frivilous, but the fact remains that St. Patrick's Day brings a smile to many a face as we anticipate the burst of color and renewal brought with the return of Spring.  

When Irish eyes are smiling,

Tis like a morn in spring.

With a lilt of Irish laughter

You can hear the angels sing

When Irish hearts are happy

All the world is bright and gay

When Irish eyes are smiling

Sure, they steal your heart away.

 
Irish Eyes

- Song, by Chaucey Olcott and George Graff, Jr.

Pay it forward - spread a smile!


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