No More Saint Patty’s Day for Me

For many years, in recognition of St. Patty’s Day, I’d wear something green. One year I even wore a Kiss Me, I’m Irish shirt, which I’d planned to insert “1/32nd” into.

It was my one little thing to acknowledge the one non slave owning white ancestor I knew about. But alas, I recently learned I’m NOT 1/32nd Irish - I’m 1/32nd Scottish.

Ack! My mortal enemies! (j/k)

Do the Scots even have a day? I dunno. So I guess I’ll just say, “Uhh, thanks, great-great grandpa Daniel and great-great grandma Mary Jane … for getting hitched and having lovely and feisty daughters, one of whom went on to raise my grumpy late grandfather, who produced my amazing Mom - without whom I would not exist (or blog).”

(I pay homage to my Jamaican roots more frequently throughout the year.)

But I don’t have to give up on March 17 entirely; it’s also my mother’s birthday. She’ll be 50 tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, Mama! I love you sooo much. And you look great! Have fun at the hot springs tomorrow!

Comments

7 Responses to “No More Saint Patty’s Day for Me”

Satori on March 17th, 2008 10:42 am

Yep, Scotland has a day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Andrew%27s_Day
Donald O'Bloggin on March 17th, 2008 11:23 am

St Patrick’s Day as it is celebrated in the United States (and to a less extent, Canada), has no relation to St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. In Ireland, it’s only in the past 15 years that it’s been celebrated as anything but a religious holiday (in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick), with it now also being a multi-day secular celebration of Irish Culture, not too unlike how we celebrate our US Independence Day.

St. Patricks Day has also become something of a rallying point for total Irish and Northern Irish independence from England’s rule.

In Scotland, St Andrews Day is a religious holiday as well, and hasn’t had the kind of secularisation as St. Patricks day, anywhere in the world, let alone Scotland. In Scotland the big secular holiday of the year is Hogmanay, aka New Years. If you want to celebrate Scots heritage and culture, go to the Portland Highland Games.
hafidha sofia on March 17th, 2008 12:47 pm

Ahh, the Highland Games. A famous thing here. Something about big juicy men tossing logs always gets the Portland papers in a tizzy. I’ve heard my share of Scottish bagpipes!
Stephen on March 18th, 2008 2:49 am

Burn’s Night (25 Jan) is more the Scottish day. (Robert Burns is sometimes claimed as a Unitarian too).
Shelby Meyerhoff on March 18th, 2008 3:28 pm

Happy birthday to your mom!

Your story reminds me of a funny credit card commercial I saw recently. An elderly father and his middle aged American son believe that their family originated somewhere in Europe (I can’t remember which country). They go there to visit and explore their heritage, and have a wonderful time partaking in local traditions. Finally they stop into the town library to research their family — and find out they’re actually from somewhere else!
hafidha sofia on March 18th, 2008 6:28 pm

Shelby - haha; thanks for your well wishes. And yes, I’ve seen that ad; they thought they were Norwegian, but then learned they were (or might be) Swedish. I loved it! Reminded me of my dad who had an aunt who loved being a Gemini and was really into her astrology and stars. Then, at 60 or so, she found out she was actually born in a completely different month, and was a Taurus or something.

Fortunately for me, being 1/32nd Irish or Scottish makes little difference in how I see myself, but I’ve met people who were really perturbed at learning they were significantly some other ethnicity (Jewish/Amer. Indian) than they’d previously thought.
Comrade Kevin on March 19th, 2008 6:56 am

I am English, Scotch-Irish (Ulster Scot), and Irish.

So we need a day to celebrate America.

Wait, don’t we have that already on the Fourth of July?