Anti-St. Patrick's Day

[gyopsy]

I'm wearing purple today. Coming from an Italian family, we always wore colors like red and purple on St. Patrick's day.

I've got nothing against the saint, or the drinking, or the irish really. But honestly...why not give Italians a day?!? St. Francis came from Italy--why not have a national "get drunk" holiday in his honor? :mad:

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. St. Patrick's Day celebrates Irish heritage.

It is NOT a national get drunk day, except for those who choose to make it so.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

2. I'm Italian and Irish

I'm wearing red right now, not purposefully, but just forgot the green this AM and didn't bother.

[JHB]

3. I don't know where you are, but...

...in NYC the Feast of San Generro is a big enough deal for all those who care, and I think Columbus Day has been appropriated as an "Italian Day" too.

[bif]

4. St Joseph's Day. March 19th. Wear red.

I started a thread on this. He's the patron saint of Italy and Poland.

[gyopsy]

6. I like this idea

Thanks for the input. I wish this St. Joseph's day were as appeciated as St. Patrick's day but Rome wasn't built in a day as they say.

[bif]

12. Rome wasn't built in a day. But Philadelphia was.

I forgot who said that, but I love that quote. (W.C. Fields?)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

13. Zeppole-my mother-in-law makes it

:P

It's delicious!

Since St. Joe's day is during Lent, it is traditional to eat meatless pasta or fish.

[amazona]

15. it's a BIG day in New Orleans

The Catholic churches and many families make an all-out effort to create St. Joseph's altars and feed the hungry without turning anyone away. I have always been too shy to visit any of these altars since I'm neither Catholic nor hungry, but they sound magnificent -- and delicious.

Here is an online article telling about it:

http://www.worldandi.com/specialreport/1995/april/Sa12855.htm

Maybe this year I will visit a local altar and report back but I'm a little bit shy for the reasons I mentioned.

[bif]

18. Just do it!

I love local customs like that. I'd love to hear about it.

[kayell]

5. So make your own holiday

invite people over for your favorite italian dishes, music and wine. Have fun.

Not all of us Irish are into the green beer :puke: bar scene. I like to cook some special food, listen to celtic music, have a Guinness or two, and look at old family photo albums.

[LuminousX]

7. I thought Italians got all sorts of Saint Days

[gyopsy]

10. Sort of...

but name one that's really as big as St. Patrick's day! Posters above had mentioned St. Joseph's day and Columbus Day. But most people honestly can't say they look forward to either of those as much as St. Patrick's day.

[meegbear]

8. My sig line says it all for me

[DrWeird]

9. Put the snakes back in Ireland?

nt

[citizen snips]

11. I can't wait till tomorrow.

This pinching is getting annoying, and I don't even know what the hell St. Patrick's Day is all about.

[Burma Jones]

14. What do you think Columbus Day has become?

The Italians actually get a Federal Holiday to celebrate....

[Kathy in Cambridge]

16. The Italians have Columbus Day

St. Pat's day is an excuse for drinking, not a celebration of Irish culture. I'm Irish-American and I ignore it.

[Bridget Burke]

17. Nobody "gave" St Patrick's day to the Irish.

They took it. They changed a religious holiday to a positive expression of Irish pride, when much of the predominant US culture was virulently anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant & anti-Irish. Lots of the original meaning has been washed away in a flood of green beer, but some fun can still be had.

Celebrate your Italian holiday(s)! Get your friends & relatives together. Some US cities boast ethnic communities more mindful of their roots--find out how they do it. How do you get a parade permit in your city? The more parades the better.

[Butterflies]

19. The English wear orange on St. Patrick's Day in protest

of the Irish (that's what my mother of English descent told me when I was young.) I don't have anything against the Irish so I don't do it, but I think other people do.