Happy St. Patty's Day!

Other than the obvious calendar days—like Christmas and Easter—there are few days that I pay attention to as they pass by. But there are four in particular that I don’t like missing:

Boxing Day. December 26. Seriously, you need to digest that Christmas dinner.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: World War I fighting ended. Usually, if I am teaching on this day, I will pause at 11am and ask, “Do you know what happened at 11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month?” The answer is no. And then I will say, “End of World War.” Oh. And then we go on.

The Ides of March. In Shakespeare’s play about Julius Caesar, the soothsayer says to Caesar: “Beware the Ides of March” (March 15). On that day, seven men from Caesar’s court stab him, the last one being Brutus, from which we also get the quote (this time from Caesar), “Et tu, Brute?” And you, Brutus? The play goes downhill from there (but also includes more great, famous quotes. Like Marc Anthony’s, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!” (The more times I read this play, the more I like it.)

St. Patrick’s Day. This is the one that puzzles me. Why do I observe this day? Two of the others are literary and nerdy, but St. Patrick’s Day is all about wearing green and drinking green beer and dying the river in Chicago green. It really ought to be the Day of Kermit the Frog, who sings, “It’s not easy being green.” (Or Elphaba’s, from Wicked…) And then, all the good reasons came back to me:

1. St. Patrick was cool. He was English, kidnapped by the Irish, and forced to be a sheepherder. One day out on those green hills with the sheep, Patrick heard God’s voice telling him to head East, where he’d find a ship to take him back to England. He followed, found, and went. Once in England, he became a priest, and then a bishop, and just simply couldn’t shake Ireland from his skin. So he went back to the Emerald Isle as a missionary and literally banished all the snakes from the island. He’s the only saint claimed by both the Catholic and Protestant churches.

2. St. Patrick’s day is about IRELAND. Eire. The Emerald Isle. Land of 40 different shades of green. In 2001, I lived in Ireland, and, like Patrick, found that the island really does get under your skin. It’s the land of enchantment, castles, and fairy rings.

3. Green is my favorite color—along with purple. They’re tied. Purple doesn’t have a day. Green does. So. I should wear one of my favorite colors on its day. And redheads are the few who look great in green.

Not to mention, the Irish blessings:

May the road rise up to meet you.


May the wind be always at your back.


May the sun shine warm upon your face;


the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,


may God hold you in the palm of His hand.


Happy St. Patty’s Day.