Erin go bragh!

I can legitimately lay claim to this holiday. I'm at least 1/8 Irish. Or is that 1/16? I can't figure out this genetics stuff. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. I like Ireland. And I've actually been fortunate enough to have visited there. Not that I'm bragging, but it directly relates to this post and this holiday. What the hell am I babbling about? Let me try again...

In the spring of 2000 the Godess and I went on holiday to England and Ireland (and we spent the night in Wales, but does Wales really count?) As a result of a complete fluke of scheduling, we ended up driving across the width of Ireland, from Galway to Dublin, on St. Patrick's Day! This was way cool. We drove across the gorgeous contryside and through a number of small towns, many of which were decked out for the holiday. In one town, we even had to stop and wait for the parade to finish going through the one main road through the village. Not that we minded. The awesomeness of driving across Ireland on St. Patrick's Day elevated us above any petty frustrations at traffic delays.

So this holiday has a special place in my heart. Not only because of my imense Irish genetic heritage, but because we discovered that it is a real holiday. It's not some Hallmark bs holiday (although there are certainly elements of that) but a real celebration actually enjoyed in Ireland. Being a generic Anglo-Saxon mutt, it is sometimes difficult to find aspects of my cultural origins to be excited about, but this one is pretty cool.

So forget all that mythical garbage about snakes and saints, put on your green skivvies and hoist a drink for Ireland (and for me)!