To kilt or not to kilt: A St. Paddy's Day conundrum

[Jack Daw]

So I guess no one is going out barefoot in a léine, ionar, and brát?

Naw, the sleeves will get in the HP sauce fer shur.

[berserkbishop]

Ok, as one who only wears his kilt on occasion, I will not be kilted on St. Paddys day. Why? Because until the kilt is the offical national dress of Ireland, I wont wear one on Ireland's holiday. To ME, saying that JUST because there are people in Ireland that wear or have worn the kilt is reason enough to do that yourself here in America seems silly. That is like saying that because there is a pipe band in Hong Kong that everyone should wear a kilt on Chinese New year. If you wear a kilt everyday then I see no issue with it. Business as usual. I know that this goes against the "do what you like its just a kilt" mantra that is popular here but that is just MY OPINION. Burn the heretic if you please.

BB

[Bugbear]

I don't drink. The sad thing , after reading that post on drinking, is that my mother and step father, who live in a near by city, used to have a large Irish/Scottish party every year. My step father went through AA and no longer drinks, but because of the drinking, they will not be having the yearly party from now on... I could have worn my Lamont kilt to that because people have shown up wearing kilts. They usually even have a piper, and I could have asked him which tartan he was wearing and so on. Could have talked to all the kilted people for that matter.

[JamieKerr]

I was out to a pub the other night, and some moron actually said to me; "Ain't it a 'lil early for St. Patty's Day?". My response was; "I ain't Irish"

[BoldHighlander]

Ok, as one who only wears his kilt on occasion, I will not be kilted on St. Paddys day. Why? Because until the kilt is the offical national dress of Ireland, I wont wear one on Ireland's holiday. To ME, saying that JUST because there are people in Ireland that wear or have worn the kilt is reason enough to do that yourself here in America seems silly. That is like saying that because there is a pipe band in Hong Kong that everyone should wear a kilt on Chinese New year. If you wear a kilt everyday then I see no issue with it. Business as usual. I know that this goes against the "do what you like its just a kilt" mantra that is popular here but that is just MY OPINION. Burn the heretic if you please.

BB

And your entitled to your opinion & to wear it (or not) as you please... and I won't burn you at the stake either. However, since you raised some issues:

I assume your remark:

To ME, saying that JUST because there are people in Ireland that wear or have worn the kilt is reason enough to do that yourself here in America seems silly.

was aimed at my posting of the Irish pipers, etc?

Well, I have to admit the whole "If it's good enough for these guys its good enough for me" was tongue in cheek, but was also to illustrate the point that the kilt is worn in Ireland, though not near as much as some wish it would be.

However, though the posting was (in part) tongue in cheek, I should point out to you that last year the Clan O'More Society decided by member vote to adopt (on St. Patrick's Day '07) the solid green as our societies kilt & a swatch of St. Patrick's tartan as a cockade behind our clan badge on our caubeen. We have members all over the world, including in Ireland (though most of our membership resides in the USA). We are proud of our name, our heritage, and this kilt we've chosen to wear.
So who are you, or anyone else, to tell me/us that we shouldn't wear the kilt on this holiday, rather it's the nat'l dress or not?

As for the wearing of kilts on the Chinese New Year, you've obviously never heard of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, have you?

For your edification:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gung_Haggis_Fat_Choy

If you wear a kilt everyday then I see no issue with it. Business as usual.

So what your saying is if you wear one all the time then your okay to wear one on St. Patrick's day ("business as usual"), but if you are a casual wearer, as in every other day, once a week, once a month, (...ad nauseam) then your not allowed /or shouldn't?!?

This smacks of elitism to me, like those who say if your not Scottish born you shouldn't wear a kilt either.

[Makeitstop]

Ok, as one who only wears his kilt on occasion, I will not be kilted on St. Paddys day. Why? Because until the kilt is the offical national dress of Ireland, I wont wear one on Ireland's holiday. To ME, saying that JUST because there are people in Ireland that wear or have worn the kilt is reason enough to do that yourself here in America seems silly. That is like saying that because there is a pipe band in Hong Kong that everyone should wear a kilt on Chinese New year. If you wear a kilt everyday then I see no issue with it. Business as usual. I know that this goes against the "do what you like its just a kilt" mantra that is popular here but that is just MY OPINION. Burn the heretic if you please.

BB

I think if you wear the kilt on special occasions, and you feel that st paddy's day (or whatever event you may be attending for that day) qualifies as a special occasion, then there is no reason not to wear the kilt.

Using your example, if you were invited to a Chinese new year celebration, and wanted to look nice, it would not be inappropriate to wear a kilt. As long as you don't claim that kilts are Chinese, there is nothing wrong with it.

And I think if you wear a green or saffron kilt, or an Irish national, or county tartan, it makes as much sense as wearing an American national tartan kilt for the 4th of july. Kilts in general are not American, but the one you would be wearing represents America. The only reason for things to be any different on st paddy's day is because of the existing misconception that the kilt is Irish.

[berserkbishop]

I assume your remark:

was aimed at my posting of the Irish pipers, etc?

So who are you, or anyone else, to tell me/us that we shouldn't wear the kilt on this holiday, rather it's the nat'l dress or not?

As for the wearing of kilts on the Chinese New Year, you've obviously never heard of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, have you?

For your edification:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gung_Haggis_Fat_Choy



So what your saying is if you wear one all the time then your okay to wear one on St. Patrick's day ("business as usual"), but if you are a casual wearer, as in every other day, once a week, once a month, (...ad nauseam) then your not allowed /or shouldn't?!?

This smacks of elitism to me, like those who say if your not Scottish born you shouldn't wear a kilt either.

Ok, without turning this into a kilt snob versus the rest of the kilted world sort of discussion (lord knows there is enough of that), let me wrap up respond with this.

First, I am not telling you that your cant or shouldnt do anything. Your body, your kilt, your feelings, do as you please. Its none of my business. You have every right to be proud of your heritage and I did not mean to offend or belittle you or that heritage. You have my humble apology. If you feel that you should then go for it.

I did not mean to sound "elitist" in my posting. I have a smattering of Irish in my blood, but its so thin I would not try search it out. St. Paddys day in America for college kids seems to represents a day when they can go and get smashed and act like an idiots. (This statement is not universal, I know many college kids on this board are upstanding students). I see and hear about this all the time. THESE PEOPLE DONT CARE ABOUT HERITAGE. I would rather not have me or my kilt connected with such debauchery. AGAIN, that is my feelings. As I understand it, the starter of this thread was looking for opinions on wether or not to wear a kilt on St. Paddys day, and I gave MY OPINION.

I think its great that Gung Haggis Fat Choy is encouraging cultural diversity. If you want to wear a kilt on that day, again go for it. I might have to get into celebrating that. It sounds neat. I chose Chinese New Year as an example because of the Hong Kong pipe band discussion that had been going on here lately. I guess it was a bad example, but I could say the same with pipe bands in India and Indian celebrations that happen in America.

I guess to me it comes down to this. I dont celebrate Jewish holidays and don a yamalka because I have no reason to. I find the culture fascinating as I do with most other cultures, but that is not reason enough for me. I guess the same goes for St. Paddys day in my opinion. I am a little bit sick of the cheapining of holidays that have deep meaning to some, and St. Paddys day is in there with those I feel have been commercially exploited. Im not going any further than that because that is another discussion that has no purpose on this board. I feel that wearing a kilt on St. Paddys day, just because it is St. Patricks day, furthers incorrect sterotypes. Should everyone stop wearing kilts on St. Paddys day because it feeds a stereotype? Heck no. I just wont.

If you want to celebrate St. Patricks day and do it in a kilt, go for it. I will not.

BB

[JamieKerr]

Fair enough, your response makes perfect sense to me. As I already stated, I have been asked while out at the pub; "Ain't it a tad early for st paddy's day?" My response was to roll my eyes. Part of me wishes to wear ma kilt that day as its expected of me, as was voiced by a number of people. And part of me wishes to spit at the idea of wearing my kilt as it is reinforcing a false stereotype.

[BoldHighlander]

Thank you BB for further clarifying your position. You have to admit though that one could easily construe (or misconstrue) that one remark as "elitism" (hence my comment on it).
Again I thank you for the clarification.

[berserkbishop]

Thank you BB for further clarifying your position. You have to admit though that one could easily construe (or misconstrue) that one remark as "elitism" (hence my comment on it).
Again I thank you for the clarification.

Yes, I can understand the confusion from my first post, I should have made myself more clear in the first place. I am just pleased that we can discuss diverging opinions in a civil matter on this board. Thank you for educating me more on Gung Haggis and your heritage.

BB