St. Patrick’s Day honors a very dark part of Irish history. A day now celebrated in countries all over the world was originally set aside for spiritual renewal and prayer in honor of Saint Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland and converted the Druids by ridding the island of the devil.A peek at the Dining and Entertainment pages of the Luverne Announcer or Rock County Star Herald paints a much different picture of the holiday. Sure, the Irish influence is still there, but I don’t see much about spiritual renewal. In fact, I would be surprised if the folks heading out to Luverne Lanes for colored pin bowling or going to the Ellsworth bar for Irish food have any idea religion is to thank for their cheap green beer.Most of my St. Patrick’s Day celebrations involve lots of planning and thought such as what should I do or how will I celebrate? Unfortunately, with the exception of five years ago, I usually end up celebrating by donning some green attire and heading to work.But five years ago, after attending a wedding in Houston, Texas, during spring break, my future husband and I headed to New Orleans. We were planning to visit its zoo and famous cemeteries.Cemeteries in New Orleans are all built above ground because its soil stays moist throughout the year and residents don’t want the bodies of their loved ones floating out into the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, they bury entire families in large tombs. The names and dates etched into the tombs can span hundreds of years.Upon arrival we had a very difficult time securing a hotel room. Apparently we had overlooked the fact that St. Patrick’s Day would coincide with our visit, and holidays centered around drinking are taken very seriously in New Orleans. I don’t think they know about the spiritual renewal and prayer aspect of the day either.We found a room on the outskirts of town because everything in the city and in the French Quarter was full. The next morning the town was alive, and everything was green. I swear they even dyed part of the Gulf green for the day. It certainly can’t be that color all year round.We had a tip from our hotel manager that several pubs close off the streets near the wharf and have an all-day celebration starting at 7 a.m. We arrived on the scene shortly after 9 a.m., and the street was packed with green beer, green bodies and green beads. Everything was green. The people of New Orleans and the tourists had two ways of celebrating this holiday, by screaming and drinking.There were several parades throughout the day, complete with floats, bands and Shriners. We didn’t get to the cemetery that day or to the zoo, but after returning to our hotel after midnight I must admit I felt a bit renewed. … Perhaps it was just the hops speaking.Today I am traveling to yet another wedding in Texas during Saint Patrick’s holiday week. Hopefully I will stumble on an event as enjoyable and surprising as I did years ago. My years have taught me that this holiday is usually celebrated in bars, so please be smart and use your brain during and following your St. Patrick’s celebrations.
