St. Patrick's Day
Though St. Patrick's Day is March 17, today, countless people will celebrate the extraordinary life of St. Patrick1 and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland by— *checks notes—wearing green, getting drunk, and claiming they’re Irish even though 23 and Me says they're mostly Dutch. Hmm.
For my part, I plan on going to church, as I do every Sunday, and which seems to be a better commemoration of the day than getting drunk.
But other more festive people in Chicago turned the dark, cold, at times deadly waters of the Chicago River green yesterday because… why not? And because it's a tradition that goes back to 1962. Crowds of people turn out to see it every year. While some environmentalists denounce the whole thing as harming the fish, it's generally agreed that the dye isn't harmful. Another Chicago distinctive is Green River pop, which due to its green color sells well this time of year. (For more on Green River, see this article where I give it and other specialty pops a review.)
Given that Chicago makes a big deal out of St. Patrick’s day, you might be surprised to learn that St. Patrick isn't the patron saint of the city. In fact, Chicago doesn't have a Catholic patron saint, even though the first American to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church lived in Chicago. Will that change now that the current Pope was born in Chicago? Who knows? I don't even know how patron saints are decided by the Catholic Church.
Chicago isn't the only city in the region to dye water green, as Indianapolis dyed the Ohio Street Canal Basin green on Thursday. On Friday, they also held a parade. Detroit, meanwhile, has their parade today.
Well, that about does it. However you celebrate or don't celebrate, I’d love to hear. Just don't get drunk. It's bad for your health, morals, and public image—and it's a sin. Don't sin.
William E.
St. Patrick was a missionary to Ireland in late Roman Empire. Though often associated with the Catholic Church, Orthodox, Lutherans, and Anglicans also recognize him as a saint.