As you already know, today is St. Patrick’s Day. Frankly, I have never been a fan of the holiday. It turns out that I have no Irish ancestry. As a child in school, all the talk about pinching people who don’t wear green this day really upset me. I have always been introverted and shy. The thought of someone pinching me was terrifying, although I cannot recall if anyone ever did.
I completely agree that the day should be celebrated by those who have Irish heritage or live on the Emerald Isle. The green beer thing is another tradition I cannot get into. Don’t take me wrong, when I was in college, the drinking age was 18, and yes, I did imbibe. Other than the color of the brew, that day was no different from most weekends for college students. Interestingly, now that the drinking age in most places is 21, nothing seems to have changed.
The other pseudo-Irish thing I enjoyed was Lucky Charms cereal. You know, they were magically delicious (being candy marshmallows in your breakfast). Just what every young child needs in the morning: another sugar rush. I have not had cereal for breakfast in more years that I can remember.
To be totally honest, I do enjoy Irish whiskey although I do not drink it regularly. While on a business trip in Dublin years ago, we went to a whiskey tasting event where the Irish hosts showed how much better Irish whiskey is compared to Scotch. It was not a fair contest. They compared Irish whiskey to the cheaper Scotch whiskeys. Although I have not had it in years, I have a warm spot in my heart for Lagavullen Scotch. It is VERY peaty, so beware. My favorite Irish whiskey is Tullamore Dew.
I believe that is the sum total of my thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day. Celebrate any way you choose, but be careful about drinking too much. Tomorrow is a Monday, so if that means back to work, take it easy.
While I have your attention, please check out the posts by the other wonderful Rave Reviews Book Club authors who are doing the 30-Day Blogging Challenge. You can click the link below to see what we have all said so far. I wish you all the best.
You and I have something in common, Karl. Irish whiskey is one of my favorites, holiday or not, but St. Patrick’s Day celebrations aren’t something I’ve ever gotten excited about. And there’s even a little Irish in my ancestry.
Hi, Karl,
I remember Lucky Charms cereal, but I haven’t eaten it since I have been in Europe. Whenever I go to the states, I don’t think about eating it either.
I enjoy a scotch on the rocks either from Scotland or Ireland. Both country brew excellent brands.
Have a lovely day.
Shalom shalom
I don’t drink whiskey or Scotch. I prefer wine. The taste of sharp alcohol has never been a favorite of mine. I love a great margarita, but I’m trying to stay away from sugary drinks. St. Patrick’s Day used to be a pagan holiday, called Ostara, to welcome in Spring. So, I like celebrating that on SPD. 🙂
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Liquor is up to a person’s individual taste. I remember several corporate functions for the French company where liquor flowed freely. Our CEO and CFO had expensive tastes. I never did. When I worked for an Australian company, we went to a retreat in Kangaroo Valley. I still remember our HR Director warning everyone not to drink too much. He told us not more than 2 beers a day. As you may know, Australian beers come in really large cans.
Hi Karl–I AM Irish, but I don’t drink at all. When I went to the radio station on Saturday, a listener MAILED four cans of his newly brewed ALE to me. I’ve been a designated driver since before that terminology existed–when I got my drivers’ license in 1964. When we were in Ireland last (2018), there was a lot of “whiskey in the jar.” When we were in Scotland in 2015 (my father was Scots-Irish), every day the tour sampled a new Scottish whiskey. Not me. My husband partook, although he rarely drinks. The tour guide read us the review of the daily brew from the Scottish Whiskey Society. Those reviews were hysterical. I won’t be drinking the ale that came in the mail (sounds like a song, right?). I’ll save it for my son-in-law who’s coming for Easter with the family from Michigan.
P.S. I want to go to Ireland and Scotland one more time before I hit the big 8-0.
Wanda, I have been to Ireland once. The only time I’ve been in the UK was switching planes on the way back to the states. Moderation in all things is a great practice.
Hi, Karl,
I don’t drink scotch or whiskey. I like an occasional pina colada or Malibu sunrise, but that’s where I draw the line. I hope everyone who does celebrate St. Patrick’s Day had a good time!
Blessings,
Patty, I had some wild times in my college days. I still have a beer at the end of the day, but not much other than that.
Karl I learned more about St. Patrick’s Day celebration on my first job working for a brokerage firm in Downtown Detroit (Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith). The green everything was strange to say the least. But I respected the Irish heritage and celebrated by adding something green to my wardrobe. Other than that, to each his own.
Shirley, I often wear green anyway, since that color goes with my eyes. Not to mention it is the color of money. I also have no grievance with St. Patrick’s Day. It just did not really matter to me. Thanks for your reply.
Our Irish friend and his wife celebrate St. Pat’s Day every year. When they were younger, Tom would don his kilt, sword, knife, socks, etc. and start the day at 7:00 am when the bars opened. He would limit himself to one drink at each bar they visited…his wife kept up with him. They would take a break and march in the annual parade in downtown Detroit, where people were just plain ‘nutso’. Then finally retreat to a local establishment for corned beef, cabbage, potato and carrot dinner. The night ended around 9:00 pm when they returned home. I don’t know how they did it. Yesterday, they were going to start their day at the parade and hoped to be home by 7:00 pm. He has a new ‘skirt’ as his wife calls it and was anxious to show it off. Jan and I stayed home and off the roads on St. Pat’s Day and usually watched the festivities on the nightly news.
John, it sounds like your friends had a great time. It is important to celebrate your family’s history and roots. That’s why I used Ancestry.com to look up my family’s past. When you do that, you find many things to cherish and some cause introspection. All the best!
I don’t usually drink spirits. However, on a trip to Scotland,long ago. I tatsed a special one when on a visit to a whiskey factory. It’s name is Glenmorangie.If you like spirits,try that one.
Joy, I rarely drink Scotch anymore. My favorite remains, although I have not bought a bottle in years. Most of my coworkers preferred less-peaty choices like Oban. To each their own.