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Away for St. Patrick's Day
Experiencing St. Patrick's Day in another country.
As my second St. Patrick’s Day away from home approaches, I find myself reflecting on last year’s St. Patrick's Day experience.
Last year, St. Patrick’s Day was probably my most homesick day of the year. Being in Edinburgh, there’s a very small Irish community, with no parade or street party to celebrate the day. Of course there was lots of drinking, most would say it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without it.
However, for someone who had only turned 18 after the last Paddy’s day, and who was used to playing in a band for at least one if not two parades, the day suddenly felt the same as all the rest.
No bank holiday on the Monday to look forward to. No Irish band music marching through the streets. Just an offer of a free stupid hat if you bought four pints of Guinness in our student’s unions and most other pubs in the city for that matter.
You know when people say Christmas starts far too early now, that it’s all commercialised? That’s how this Irish lad felt last St. Patrick’s Day. If anything, the stereotype of the drunken Irish was expanded and exaggerated to a huge extent last March 17th.
This year, I’m more prepared for it. I know what my options are. I could go to London, Manchester or indeed Birmingham. But all of those are relatively far away. They have huge Irish celebrations though. There’s also Coatbridge, a wee town in Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. It claims to have the biggest Irish party north of the border, with up to 15,000 people in the town at one point. However, they don’t have a parade.
The last option is a trip to the west, to Glasgae. Despite the massive Irish, and especially Donegal connection, last year was the first time they held a St. Patrick’s Day parade. The fear of sectarian violence was too intense. The group organising the parade don’t have a website but I’ll do some hunting down to find out about Glasgow’s second annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Hopefully it’ll restore a sense of normality to my St. Patrick's Day.
Either that, or the “normal” Paddy’s Day I’m so used to will just have to adjust…
Find out more about dealing with homesickness.
By: Stephen McFadden
