Happy St Patt's Weekend!

[OC Richard]

Just so you know St. Patricks Day is not celebrated in Scotland to the extent ----if at all -----that you chaps do across the Atlantic. I think there is a parade of some sort in Glasgow, but I am not aware of any others here. The Irish Guards unsurprisingly do also celebrate the day wherever they happen to be based at the time.

Thanks, I didn't know the situation in Scotland.

I can't find my notes now, so this is off the top of my head, but New York City has had a St Patrick's Day Parade since around 1750, started by some British army officers.

Edit: Dublin Ireland's first official St Patrick's Day Parade was in 1931. I read somewhere that it was initially a military parade.

In the 1990s Dublin began capitalising on the holiday by turning it into a weeklong festival.

For Americans St Pat's is a day of excessive drinking, while pubs in Ireland were closed that day until the 1970s.

Here in the USA such things aren't limited to the descendants of Irish immigrants.

Oktoberfest is another big excuse for excessive drinking here.

Here in the US southwest people of Mexican ancestry celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which I'm told is a much bigger thing in the US than it is in Mexico.

[Jock Scot]

I love the Irish Guards with their distinctive green and orange uniforms!

Attachment 43375

If you don't mind.The Irish Guards wear saffron coloured kilts, NOT orange!

[Patty Logan]

If you don't mind. The Irish Guards wear saffron coloured kilts, NOT orange!

Sorry my apologies

[Jock Scot]

Sorry my apologies

No worries my dear chap.

[OC Richard]

McClintock, in Old Irish and Highland Dress, delves into the subject of saffron, due to its early popularity in both sorts of costume.

He states that Saffron yields a pure clear light yellow, in contradiction to the burnt-orange colour adopted by the Irish regiments of the British army.

[Jock Scot]

McClintock, in Old Irish and Highland Dress, delves into the subject of saffron, due to its early popularity in both sorts of costume.

He states that Saffron yields a pure clear light yellow, in contradiction to the burnt-orange colour adopted by the Irish regiments of the British army.

I think this conversation needs to be held with the Regimental Quatermaster of the Irish Guards, somehow I don't think he and Mr McClintock are going to agree.

I think this 'hair splitting" with colour shades are fine and dandy for the more artistic minded of us, but for us mere mortals if the Irish Guards say they are wearing Saffron kilts-----and they certainly do---- then that is fine by me.

[OC Richard]

All this got me wondering who on earth originally came up with that burnt orange colour in the first place.

The Irish Guards were formed in 1900, and a black & white photo I found of their pipers during World War One showed quite dark kilts, probably Rifle Green. If so, when did they change to the burnt orange kilts?

Another possibility is that the pipers of different battalions wore different kilts, as happened in some British regiments.

[Patty Logan]

Another possibility is that the pipers of different battalions wore different kilts, as happened in some British regiments.

Thats what I was thinking... Like Black Watch vs Royal Steward.

[Jock Scot]

OCR.

Can I suggest that you google The Irish Guards website and your questions about their saffron kilts may be answered ----which by the way----- were first worn by their pipers sometime midway through WW1, I think.