We know! St. Patrick's Day can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare for those who just want to quietly enjoy the festival day. Here we take a look at what Irish people may not enjoy about St. Paddy's Day.
There are many advantages to being Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone wants to be a little Irish for one day at least. Cities and towns are a sea of green and everyone has smiling faces, it really is a proud day.
Sometimes, though, it can be a bit of a nightmare. It is a long day for people who just want to enjoy all things green, white and gold. So we at IrishCentral decided to take a look at the other side of things that Irish people may not enjoy about St. Patrick’s Day.
Leprechaun jokes in full force
Leprechaun costumes are a standard feature of any St. Patrick's Day
Leprechauns have become a big part of celebrations during St. Patrick’s Day festivities. They are depicted as small ginger bearded men in Irish folklore who wear a green hat, jacket, and pants, and love nothing more than partaking in mischief. When these crafty pixies are caught they are said to grant three wishes in exchange for freedom.
It is the one day a year people can dress up as these mythical creatures in public without the slightest notion of embarrassment. Unfortunately for the many of us who have been blessed with the ginger gene, there is a lot of leprechaun jokes to contend with. Unless you get that hair color changed the best course of action is to simply embrace it and enjoy your license for mischief.
The inevitable "So where are you from then?" questions.
The inevitable question of where are you from will always arise
Irish people, for the most part, are beloved here in the US. The sexy accent, hard-working nature and sense of humor go down a treat in America. And people love to have a chat with us. As soon as an Irish person opens their mouth the inevitable questions will follow.
“So where are you from then?” is the quintessential question every Irish person in the US will be asked this St. Patrick’s Day. All this attention can be a tremendous ego boost but it can also be very repetitive. Americans tend to go into extensive detail about their Irish heritage when they meet someone from Ireland. So why not have a little fun with it this year? Start coming up with different ways to amuse yourself when someone asks you the inescapable question.
There will be crowds
Thousands of people lining up to witness the St. Patrick's Day parade
An inevitable part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are the mass of people that will descend on major cities. In New York City millions of people will line the streets along the fifth avenue to take in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Following the parade, the next port of call is an Irish pub.
It’s no secret that many Irish people love their Guinness which means a trip to the Irish pub is going to happen. With such a high population of Irish or Irish American people in New York, somewhere in the region of five percent, it will be quite difficult to find a comfortable seat to enjoy your Guinness.
So be prepared this St. Patrick’s Day, you will be waiting in line for the majority of the day whether for food, drinks or the toilet. So be patient, be courteous of others and just enjoy the celebration of your Irish heritage.
Guinness in plastic glasses
A Guinness costume at a St. Patrick's Day parade
This might possibly be the worst thing any Irish person will have to endure in their lifetime if one can be overly dramatic for a moment. Guinness should not be served in a plastic glass, everything about it is wrong.
This special stout should be served in its beautifully unique glass and poured to perfection. Unfortunately, Guinness is just “thrown out” to customers in plastic glasses to avoid any accidents and save time on St. Patrick’s Day. This doesn’t allow Guinness the 119.5 seconds it needs to ensure its perfect creamy goodness.
Homesick and hard work
Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day serving hundreds of customers
St. Patrick’s Day is a day for people to have fun and enjoy being Irish, even if you’re not. Being abroad for all the outstanding events might seem like a fantastic idea. Irish people view New York City as a must-see St. Patrick’s Day celebration in their lifetime.
However, for the many people here in New York, it is a long tiring day and it can also be a time for people to miss home. There are a reported 50,000 undocumented Irish people here in New York, many of whom have not been back to Ireland for years.
It is a worrying time for all undocumented people within the US with the new President Trump administration cracking down on illegal immigrants in the country. Many of these people are a vital part of the workforce in the city and many of them will be serving the majority of people throughout St. Patrick’s Day.
So this year let us all take the time to thank the many people who will be doing their best to ensure everyone has a happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Let us know what you think is the worst thing about being Irish on St. Patrick’s Day in the comments below.
* Originally published in 2017.
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