St. Patrick's Day
Recently I ran this item:
Lex Anteinternet: The Obituary: Mira qué bonita era by Julio Romero de Torres, 1895. Depiction of a wake in Spain. I didn't have him as a teacher in high school, but I...
One of the things this oituary noted was:
"One more St. Patrick’s day craic for you, Dad."
That's nice, but what does that mean?
From Wikipedia:
Craic (/kræk/ KRAK) or crack is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland.It is often used with the definite article – the craic– as in the expression "What's the craic?" (meaning "How are you?" or "What's happening?"). The word has an unusual history; the Scots and English crack was borrowed into Irish as craic in the mid-20th century and the Irish spelling was then reborrowed into English. Under either spelling, the term has attracted popularity and significance in Ireland.
A relative who know the decedent well told me that in later years he really got into "being Irish" and had big St. Patrick's Day parties.
But is that Irish?
Not really. That's hosting a party.
Granted, it's hosting a party in honor of the Saint, sort of. Or perhaps in honor of Ireland, sort of. And there's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. After all, "holidays" comes from "holy days", which were "feasts". There are, by my recollection, some feast days even during Lent, and for that matter, it's often noted, but somewhat debated, that Sundays during Lent aren't technically part of it (although this post isn't on that topic, perhaps I'll address that elsewhere.
And St. Philip Neri tells us, moreover, "Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life; wherefore the servant of God ought always to be in good spirits."
So, no problem, right?
Well, perhaps, as long as we're not missing the point.
The Irish everywhere honor this day, and some of that involves revelry. Traditionally it was a day that events like Steeple Chases were conducted, sports being closely associated, actually, with religious holidays on the British Isles. But the day is also often marked by the devout going to Mass, and as the recent Irish election shows, the Irish are more deeply Catholic than some recent pundits might suggest.
Perhaps it might be best, really, to compare the day to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in North America, which is widely observed by devout Catholics, and not only in Mexican American communities.
So, I guess, a purely bacchanalian event, which is so common in the US, doesn't really observe the holiday, but something else, and that risks dishonoring the day itself. Beyond that, it's interesting how some in North America become particularly "Irish" on this day, when in fact the root of the day, and the person it honors, would import a different type of conduct entirely to some extent, if that was not appreciated. Indeed, with many, St. Patrick would suggest confession and repentance.
Am I being too crabby?
Probably, but we strive for authenticity in our lives and desire it. That's so often at war with our own personal desires which often, quite frankly, aren't authentic. Things aren't easy.
