I'm Irish apparently

[Panache]

I, like many a kilt wearer, have heard time and time again this when wearing the kilt...


"OH You're Irish!!! "


You sigh, you smile, and then you have to explain politely "no"


So at the Elementary School I work at they had a wonderful Multicultural Night Event each year (this year had 22 countries represented)


I decided that it would be fun to attend, and since all the parents, kids, and teachers have seen me in highland attire for years, that it would be fun to dress up a little differently. Now I have as much German (and Dutch for that matter) heritage as I do Scottish. Over the last year or so I have been putting together a Bavarian outfit.

I thought this would be a great opportunity to wear it.


Everyone liked it!


And the majority of the people told me (adults and kids)...


(Yes you guessed it!)








"Oh, you're Irish!!!"




Someone pass me the Jamesons...




Cheers

Jamie

[Liam]

Well Jamie, you could be mistaken for a gold seeking leprechaun, who robbed a Bavarian beer merchant.

[Karl R]

I, like many a kilt wearer, have heard time and time again this when wearing the kilt...


"OH You're Irish!!! "


You sigh, you smile, and then you have to explain politely "no"

I'm slightly more Irish than Scottish. (How much depends on little details, such as how one counts the Scots-Irish.)

Therefore, when sees my kilt and assumes that I'm Irish, I sigh, smile, and say, "Yes, I am. I'm part Scottish and part Irish."

They may be clueless, but their statement was technically correct.

[Singlemalt]

At a certain point ethnicity is irrelevant. A good look is a good look and you look good!

[imbrius]

I'm in the same boat. Around half German (Melcher, with a bit of Polish, Krumnow), Half British Isles (Armstrongs from Northumbria, Guthries from Angus). I, too, am assembling a set of Trachtenmode. I have less occasion to wear it, though, than Highland dress.

[MNlad]

Every year St. Paul hosts a Festival of Nations where various ethnic communities of the Twin Cities area sponsor information, merchandise and food booths. Ethnic dress is encouraged. Representing the Scottish community, I am normally clad in a kilt and other Highland attire and have lost track of the number of times I've been identified by youngsters, and more than one adult, as Irish. However, last year one young lad pointed at my kilt and positively proclaimed, "German." This as two gentlemen walked by dressed in lederhosen and Tirolean hats.

As for our friends in the Irish booth, they will wear tweed and Irish knits, but draw the line at dressing like a Leprechaun or Irish washer woman. In fact, we all avoid ethnic stereotypes at all costs. While the dress may sometimes be dated or ceremonial, it is traditional. No Braveheart here. More than once we've explained that it is not the Renaissance Festival.

[FossilHunter]

I often wear my kilt on Sundays and it gets remarked upon if I'm not wearing it. I was asked why I wasn’t kilted on St. Patrick's day this year and I simply pointed out that I hear "top o' the morning to ya" enough already.

[Panache]

I wasn't the only one.

The Mom who ran the display on Sweden had a large note on her display stating:


Sweden and Switzerland are DIFFERENT countries!


I asked her if that was really necessary. She told me that she gets too many people wanting to talk with her about how wonderful her country's chocolate is when they find out she is Swedish...


Cheers

Jamie

[Panache]

I'm in the same boat. Around half German (Melcher, with a bit of Polish, Krumnow), Half British Isles (Armstrongs from Northumbria, Guthries from Angus). I, too, am assembling a set of Trachtenmode. I have less occasion to wear it, though, than Highland dress.

Highland attire is quite easy to find compared to Bavarian tracht!

I have lucked out on my hat and jacket at second hand stores (Less than $30 for both of them together). The bundhosen came from Amazon. I also agree that there aren't a lot of opportunities to wear it (at least till September )

Cheers

Jamie

[FossilHunter]

I wasn't the only one.

The Mom who ran the display on Sweden had a large note on her display stating:


Sweden and Switzerland are DIFFERENT countries!


I asked her if that was really necessary. She told me that she gets too many people wanting to talk with her about how wonderful her country's chocolate is when they find out she is Swedish...


Cheers

Jamie

Reminds me of Trading Places.