Overdue report and overused rant

[jugglergeek]

So I'm back at the Smithsonian for Spring Break, and rather than actually being in the lab, we've been displaced because of stupid politics. So yesterday and today we're in the collections instead, playing with hippo skulls, which is also lots of fun, even if not as messy. Oh well

Comments

in celebration of massacre

[wolf_j]

Someone on one of my pagan forums suggested that people should wear snakes today instead of green. I would have, except that my first clue St.P's was on top of us was when I got caught in traffic on the way to the grocery store.

[evilaphrodesia]

I don't get it either. But, it's the American way, right, to find any excuse to get shit faced! I don't know anyone who celebrates St. Patty's that knows much about the man behind it. Back in his day it was religion or death, no matter what religion was being forced on people, so that isn't too strange to me. I actually wrote an article on him here, for work which of course is family friendly and bubbly.

I mean, I don't hate the guy, I just hate the way it's celebrated... especially this "I'm Irish for a day which means I need to get fucked up!" mentality. It's a bigoted thought to think that all the Irish do is sit around and drink, when in all actuality, the holiday is held sacred in Ireland.

Anyway, I digress from that. DKM is amazing!

[jugglergeek]

Unaccepted people. That's made even better by the fact that St. Patrick was apparently never actually canonized. He was in the early lists of saints, but then disappeared from the roles.

[ladyinsatin]

I've begun to look forward to your yearly rant. It's like a little tradition for me now to read it every year. ^_^

[dolendae]

Okay, so I actually knew that because there's been lots of discussion about it on the druid communities lately. Before you charge me with being a hypocrite, let me explain.
I've always felt left out on St. Patrick's Day because I'm not Irish. Well, we recently discovered that my mom's mom's family is part Irish (alcoholic Irish actually, there are newspaper articles to support that statement). I wanted one St. Patty's Day to celebrate my new-found Irish-ness.
On that note, my Grove sort of celebrates St. Patty's Day by using it as a celebration of Celtic traditions, not necessarily as a memorial for the saint. How's that for irony?

[jugglergeek]

A memorial for those lost people and traditions, maybe?

[dolendae]

Perhaps. We didn't actually talk about it, but one of the druids and his wife were wearing green and both druids did a traditional Irish toast at dinner. Our dinner was traditional Celtic fare and they made some comment about in honor of the holiday. It wasn't Alban Eilir they were referring to. I interpret that as a recognition of the holiday since they didn't even mention St. Patrick and focused solely on reviving Celtic traditions. It certainly wasn't sad and we didn't have a moment of reflection on lost druids. I don't know.