It's a celebration of no snakes and a day for the Order of Malta to shine. Lets let our hair down for St Patrick.
1) Being the centre of attention for the whole day.
For one day a year we Irish can cast off all our troubles and bathe in the warmth of the rest of the world’s adoration. Everyone’s Irish on Paddy’s Day (though they can cast off the economic woes and awful weather on the 18th.)
2) The parade.
Always something special, this year’s parade is reportedly the biggest yet, starting at Parnell Square and finishing at St Patrick’s Cathedral. And yes, dress warmly - it's snowing out there today! I feel so sorry for all those American cheerleaders dressed in half nothing - they'll have goosebumps on their lovely lady bumps.
If you’re not in the capital, even better - you can always enjoy the procession of strangely dressed primary school children, the Order of Malta and the fire services. At least, that’s what happens in my hometown.
3) A little break from Lenten promises...
For some reason, we like to use Paddy’s Day as a Get Out Of Jail Free card for all things given or taken up during Lent. So if it’s saying no to chocolate, taking a daily walk or forgoing the sugar in your tea, today’s the day to throw it all out the window. Aren’t we awful bold!
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4) The wacky mythology.
So let me get this straight - St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, and managed to do away with our snake problem while he was at it. Bizarre, but cheers anyway, Paddy.
5) The dress code.
It pretty much doesn’t matter what you wear today, as long as it’s green. Garnish with a couple of shamrocks and some flashy headgear and you’re all set.
6) Celebrating what it means to be Irish.
A soppy one, but truthful nonetheless. We have a lot going on for us - ceol agus craic, cinnte, but also a wealth of history and culture, sport and art. Basically, we’re great, and we shouldn’t be afraid to show it. If there’s ever a day to have notions about ourselves, it’s today.
7) The party!
After all we’ve been through in this country, we deserve to collectively let our hair down every once in a while. Thankfully, we have good old Bank Holiday Monday to rest our heads. Prepare for every deli in the country to simultaneously run out of chicken fillet rolls and cans of Coke.
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Have a great day everyone! Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
