St. Patrick's day has been moved

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The guy who wrote the article just doesn't get it. Thought so much of the celebration around St. Patrick's day has taken on a secular connotation in modern times, it's still a saint's feast day on the Roman Calendar. In terms of the heirarchy of memorials, feasts and solemnities on the Church's calendar, Mondy of Holy Week "trumps" St. Patrick's feast day. Ordinarily, when something like this occurs, the saint's feast just doesn't get celebrated that year.

However, because of the popularity of St. Patrick's feast, not only in Ireland but wherever the Irish have settled (i.e. the USA especially), the Church has decided to move the feast day so that it can still be celebrated that year. And it's not the first time this has been done. In 1940 (I believe that's the correct year), March 17 was Palm Sunday, so St. Patrick's Day was moved that year, as well. In other words, this is something that the Church does occasionally when circumstances demand it, and nothing really to get excited about.

What this mostly has to do with is liturgical celebrations (the Mass and the Divine Office, to be precise), so if you are not a Catholic and not involved in those liturgies, it really doesn't affect you at all.

However, I couldn't help but think that the 15th will be on a Saturday and that most secular "St. Paddy's Day" activities will likely be on Saturday rather than Monday, regardless.

[Ayin McFye]

However, I couldn't help but think that the 15th will be on a Saturday and that most secular "St. Paddy's Day" activities will likely be on Saturday rather than Monday, regardless.

Exactly. I may not like it too much on how they came to this conclusion, but i'm a pretty positive thinking person, and I'm ok with celebrating St. Patrick's day on a Saturday next year. I'll just celebrate it twice. Once on Saturday, and once on Monday.

[macwilkin]

One thing also that should be pointed out: the St. Patrick's Day parade as we know it is really more of an Irish-American custom, rather than an Irish one per se. It's only been in recent years that this concept has found its way back to Ireland and the Irish expat populations in the UK.

Historians debate as to when the first St. Patrick's Day celebration was held in America; some credit Irish soldiers in the British Army in 1762. Others credit an Irish fraternal & mutual-aid society (who first President was a Presbyterian, btw) of holding the first parade in Boston in 1737.

We do know that Washington's army celebrated the holiday, and it was certainly celebrated in the Irish regiments of the Union Army during the Civil War.

For Irish-Americans, the St. Patrick's Day parade was just as much celebrating their successes in the new world, as well as being a religious holiday.

Mike Cronin's The Wearing the of the Green: a history of St. Patrick's Day is a very good book on the subject and worth perusing, if you are so inclined.

Cheers,

Todd

[DrewO]

One thing also that should be pointed out: the St. Patrick's Day parade as we know it is really more of an Irish-American custom, rather than an Irish one per se. It's only been in recent years that this concept has found its way back to Ireland and the Irish expat populations in the UK.

My wife and I were in Dublin in 2000 for St.Pat's. Everyone told us it was a very religious day and wasn't celebrated as here in the states. Perhaps it was because it was a "millenium" celebration, but it actually turned out to be a raucous 3 day affair.

We were amused/dissapointed at the parade though. No pipers (presumably all in the States getting $$$$$) and the grand finale of the parade was the University of Nebraska Marching Band, chanting "Go Big Red!" and all.