[COLOR="Indigo"]Yes, all of the above!

It does seem that Irish-Americans really take St. Paddy's Day to another level. Why? Well, it's a show of solidarity, and a way of saying, "Hey, look at us, we finally have assimilated into American Society."

If you look at the history of the Irish coming to America, you'd understand. When they got here, they were treated as bad if not worse than what they had back in Ireland. In fact, slaves had more value than the Irish. And it was the Irish who did all the dirty work.

The Irish were the first wave of immigrants to the American shores who came in great numbers, and it was this group that really tested the Constitution of the US. The general population looked at the Irish as a burden on the society...they filled the prisons, they filled the welfare roles, they have no skills, they looked different, etc. And, most importnatly, they were sent here as a conspiracy by Rome, the Papacy, to send the population into disarray.

The American Know Nothing Party came about, as a response to the Irish influx, to stop the spread of the Irish culture...churches were burned, people were terrorized and killed. The Irish were not welcome! So, I think this is the reason why Irish-Americans celebrate St. Paddy's Day the way they do. Early on, it was the Irish struggle to fit in. We've come a long way and, we now fit in. So, on this glorious day, everyone can be Irish! [/COLOR]