Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

That's right. I am not looking forward to it. Perhaps if I were twenty years old and single it would be more attractive, but at my age (don't ask) and happily married, it just looks like a load of old bullsheeeeeit!!!!

Suddenly all of the stores have Blackpool-esque crap on the shelves pertaining to the 'oirish': Dish towels, T-Shirts, shamrock shaped coasters, Guinness hoodies etc. The missus keeps trying to buy me bits of Irish tat because me old 'grand-da' was a mick and we have a very Irish surname. I was born in England, I tell her, my mum was born in England, my dad was born in England, all my brothers and cousins and nephews were born in bleedin England - so why would I want to walk around wearing a shamrock on my shirt?!?!??

I have nothing against the Irish of course, and I do feel a certain healthy connection to that aspect of my cultural history. Now and again I even get a bit damp eyed (while supping Jamiesons) at the lilting tones of Shane McGowan singing Dirty Old Town while falling down drunk as the rest of the band play Four Green Fields. But the idea of 'paddying it up' leaves me cringing. If I did it back home I would be called a plastic paddy by all of my mates who have the same connection the the Emerald Isle as myself. Here I would be a what? A Pleather Paddy I suppose ha ha.

I have recently been shocked by the way St Valentines day has been hi-jacked by Hallmark (kids sending cards to their grandmothers and and vice versa) so I am far from keen on Paddy's day here.

Am I just being an old miserable B'stard or has anybody else got any tales of past paddys days to share to lend weight to my feelings on this?

Tiocfaidh ar la by the way lol :)

(Joking Dogbyte, don't be calling interpol) :)

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Try being married to a natural-born American whose grandfather happened to be born in Ireland... :eek:

The family name gets people all excited, too. Everyone assumes our daughter *is* Irish (you know how they are over here ;) - you're not just "of Irish descent", but somehow it gets transmuted into actually *being* Irish), when she's only one-quarter Irish, and 50% pure English, a fact I like to remind my MIL of. :rofl:

Come to Chicago ... they dye the Chicago River green. I kid you not.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

I like St. Patty's, the "Irish" dancers have great legs!* Although, what's up with their hair?

*The ones that are of age of course! :p

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Green beer leaves me wanting to punch somebody in the face.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Yes, I have a St Paddy's day tale. I also had an Irish grandfather (he was killed in WWI so never knew him). I don't have an Irish surname, because it was my mum's dad, but we were all raised Catholic because of his wishes. Several years ago my aunt (mum's sister) was in a nursing home. My mum was visiting, and the priest happened to come by for a visit (he is Irish). I had sent my aunt a St. Paddy's day card to cheer her up. The priest saw the card on her bedside table. He was quite a funny fellow, and was overjoyed to see this card. He couldn't believe that the only St. P's card to be found, had been sent over from America. My aunt really enjoyed all the attention from everyone, after the priest had told the whole nursing home about her St. P's card. A small thing, but it was fun for her, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Always think about that on St. P's day, as she is dead now from Parkinson's disease.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

[QUOTE=Maz;4440242]Try being married to a natural-born American whose grandfather happened to be born in Ireland... :eek:

The family name gets people all excited, too. Everyone assumes our daughter *is* Irish (you know how they are over here ;) - you're not just "of Irish descent", but somehow it gets transmuted into actually *being* Irish), when she's only one-quarter Irish, and 50% pure English, a fact I like to remind my MIL of. :rofl:

Come to Chicago ... they dye the Chicago River green. I kid you not.[/QUOTE]


Don't you just love that?? :lol:

Silly Sod - welcome to America - where EVERYTHING is about $$$$$$$$

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

you should try it boston or chicago...then you'll see pain...it was pretty bad in maine too though :lol:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Some in our family gave the rest of the family hell for admitting we had irish heritage when I was growing up LOL!

Had we known it was such a BIG deal in this country we wouldn't have gotten married on St.Paddy's day. :blink:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

I'll drink to that :beer:
I also refuse, abso-bloody-lutely refuse, to wear green on St. Paddy's day! I wear RED and when asked why I'm not wearing green I tell them. I don't know about where everyone else lives, but here if you don't wear green you get pinched on the arm :eek:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

don't be a silly sod, just ignore it ....as with all occasions over here they are completely ott :zzz: :zzz:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Well I learn something new everyday, I didn't know Sod was an Irish surname. There's a thing!

- Tim

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Saint Patrick was Welsh anyway.

Cymru am byth

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

I'll drink to that :beer: Hic!

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

I thought he was Scottish, at least that's what I have always heard.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

St Patricks birthplace isnt known with any certainly, but the main school of thought seems to agree that he was born in the SE area of Scotland known today as Strathclyde, a former Welsh kingdom and still speaking Celtish at the time of his abduction.

Some still believe that the St. Davids area of Pembrokeshire was his birthplace.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Don't go hyphenated names if their surname is Off.
- Ancient Irish Wisdom

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Silly Sod,...........your safe 'interpol' is fast asleep in his kennel...Commercial aspects have grown about the day over the years, which has spoilt what is national folklore to the Irish people.They are right to celebrate the day in the best way they know...I'll have another ta !

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Paddy's Day in Ireland is the traditional time to stand in the rain watching Majorettes stick-twirling away trying to smile their dazzling white smiles while their poor legs turn blue from the cold.

Actually that's if you're lucky enough to be in Dublin. Otherwise (like last year!!:ohmy:) you stand in a small country town and watch the local garages parade their wonderful farm machinery down the road. Yup, non-stop fun. And not a green river in sight :lol:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

:rofl: It gets right on my tits when people go all mental pretending that they are Irish on St. Paddy's day:rolleyes:

People who are 3 generations removed Irish all of a sudden get pissed and aquire a fake Irish accent :p

My Grandfather was Italian, but I don't go around telling everyone Im bloody Italian, being only one-quarter !!

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

but peeps do that here all the time so i've noticed...i've never met anyone who's said they are american without adding that they are 1/4 english 1/4 irish etc etc :confused:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Yup - was talking to a fella in a bar in New York once and he said, "oh you're Irish, I'm Irish too!". In his all-American accent :lol: Got highly offended when I questioned it

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

That is so true and actually a bit of a pet peeve of mine! :)
I still try not to give a really vague, here we go again look, when someone tells me how there family is British Irish etc..... and when you ask where from?
It's usually a story of how they traced back the family tree to Uk descent.
I suppose I should be pleased at there wanting to be little bit Euro, but it get's so old after years and years of it :rolleyes:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Regarding St Pats day and being Irish, I always smile when remembering an episode of The Simpsons. Mayor Quimby says: On St Patricks day everyone is Irish........apart from the Italians and the gays!!!

Posted by Silly Sod thinking I was using my account rather than Mrs SIlly Sods. This could happen a lot.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

That happened the first month I was here. At a one of those neighbourhood cocktail parties this woman asked where I was from. She says she's Italian and I ask what part of Italy. She was born in this country, raised in this country and had NEVER been to Italy. I didn't get it and she could see I was confused and got very offended and walked off.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

haha esp after america fought us and won and now they cling to us :confused: ..

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

It is all very bizarre....:confused: agree :)

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

It is quite weird. My parents were both Scottish, but I was born and raised in England, and if anyone asks I always say I'm English. This baffles my husband as he thinks I should say I'm Scottish :confused:

Re: Not Dreading YOUR first Paddys Day
 

And both my parents are Ukrainian, and I was born in England. So I must be a (Y)Uki Brit :ohmy:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

My grandfather had UK and Argentinian citizenship, I've never been there and I don't speak the language but I still have a lot of family there. When I meet one of the "I'm Irish/Italian/etc" people that have never been to the country in question I break out "I'm Hispanic" No one ever believes me, maybe because I'm a pasty white guy with blue eyes and an English accent, and then they get all offended when I question if they really are X because their great, great, great grandfather was born in X country. I especially like the people who claim to be Irish but don't know that Ireland and Northern Ireland are different countries.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Don't forget New York City. We have as high, if not higher, population of new Irish immigrants and old, as well, of Boston, and one of the largest St. Paddy's Day parades going. For the day everyone is Irish. I'm not Irish, although people do mistake me as Irish, but do enjoy the festivities to a large extent. However, that stops when the train home is filled with puking travelers who imbided too much.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

You have to meet me then :thumbup:

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

For gods sake, some of you need to remove the rod from your rectum, have a green beer (although I prefer mine stout and untinted)and relax.

I know if some country had a day of celebration where "everyone was an American" (I know, hell would freeze:rofl: ) I would take it as a bit of a compliment. And as for people claiming various ancestries, that is a part of culture that I'm not sure I can explain without a little more time to think about it. It is sad that some get offended though.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

It isn't offensive, it is just, well a bit odd to say the least. It is one thing to mention heritage but claiming a nationality is another thing. My hertiage goes back to Norway and Scotland but I am not Norwegian or Scottish. Are you telling me if you visited or lived in africa, russia, ireland, france, or whatever and someone told you they were american it wouldn't come across as strange?

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

I would guess that most aren't trying to claim an actual nationality but as you say, a heritage. In common conversation someone might say"I'm half Italian, half Irish." Of course they are going to look confused when you ask what town in Ireland, their descendants probably came over at the time of the potato famine! What they mean is their ancestors are Italian and Irish. It's so common to be mixture of many "nationalities" here that people have just shortened it to "I'm xxx." Instead of "My ancestors emigrated from xxx." It's just kind of taken for granted that that's the case.

Everyone in the U.S. either came from somewhere else themselves or is descended from immigrants. It's what links us, we all came from somwhere else at some point. I knew this would be difficult to explain!

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Someone saying they have irish or part irish heritage is vastly different than claiming a nationality and you know it.

well can't stay and play, have work to do, time to quit being amused on the net, swirch off and tune out.
see ya later.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

[QUOTE=spuggy;4446043]Someone saying they have irish or part irish heritage is vastly different than claiming a nationality and you know it./QUOTE]

Of course! If someone is claiming to actually be Irish or anything else and not was not born in that country but perhaps has never even been there then that person has a screw loose.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Bloke came to our house a couple of years ago to give us a quote for new windows. After talking to him for about two minutes and noticing his broad NJ accent he then said to me "hey, are you English? I'm English too!" I then asked him which part of England he was from and he replied "oh, I've never been there, I'm Jersey born and raised, but one of my grandfathers was born in England". Then he gave me his business card and his name was something like "Vito Spaghettini". Well, I thought, you can't get more anglo saxon than that.

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Twat :rolleyes: the patter these sales men come out with :sneaky: did you get your windows off him then ?

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

er no, we went with Pella. It also didn't help that virtually the first thing he said to me was "this is a cute neighbourhood - I've lived my whole life in this area and never even heard of this place". oookaay

Re: Dreading my first Paddys Day
 

Dont you just want to punch them on the nose, daft f**king Twat thats what I say :rolleyes: