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

[Amoskeag]

A local restaurant, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, will have a buffet consisting of Neeps and Tatties, Bubble and Squeak. Bangers and Mash, Spotted Dick, and a stew made from lamb that has been soaked in Guinness for several days. It's a total mish-mash of foods from all those islands and it's "wicked good"! They bring in a piper and people wear whatever plaid they have, except the farmers they just wear their jeans as always. I'll be wearing my tank to that. Interestingly enough, the place does not have a liquor license. It's great fun and locally famous. The down side for me is that it's on Thursday night and after the feed I'm going to try to play soccer. This will not end well!

On the actual St Paddy's Day I'm going to try to touch on as many XMTS threads as I can. It is the troop / pack meeting when the Cub Scouts cross over into the troop. I'll be wearing a kilt with a scout uniform, it will be the Irish National, I ordered it from SWK, I jonesed for it exactly three and one half days, it was too big, I tailored it myself, I now love it, I will buy more, it will be St Patrick's Day, I am not Irish (the bulk of my family is), I will play my pipes, I will be among people who have not seen me kilted and some may have a problem with it. I'm certain that I'll be asked "the question" and have it called a skirt. I will, with a smile and as much grace as I can muster, point out that it is a man's garment worn with distinction by kings, princes, soldiers in battle and gentlemen for centuries. I will post pictures. I' sure the list goes on.
I really find it remarkable that this forum is so varied and encompassing that almost every facet of kilting is covered in wonderful detail and it's nice to have good folks to share the experience with.

Oh Yeah! I won't be drinking to excess
Bob

[fluter]

I don't mean to be a stickler here BUT....
Every time I see someone say or write "St. Paddy's" day I shiver.

Oops! Let me think about that one.

Do you know what bugs me? "Patty." fergoshsakes, y'all, his name is not Patricia.

In the bosom of the extended family, I don't have a problem with Paddy as a familiar form of Patrick. The hard part is discerning the thought behind it, so I will have to continue to think about this one.

For example, if McNulty calls me "Jock," I'm cool. If it comes from a drunken eedjit in a green plastic bowler, then he might just have a problem.


"... Jesus answered, 'Right then, Jimmy, jist you dae the same!'"

[laotou]

Back in my pipe band days, we played gigs on St Patrick's Day because.......we got paid.

[GMan]

I am wearing a Kilt (since I do not have a Cilt) on St. David's Day, does that make me Welsh?

Wear the Kilt and wear it proud!

[Ozman1944]

Wear your Irish National or Saffron Kilt (or any other Tartan) with pride on St Patrick's Day. I'm Australian but have always honored St. Patrick (even took his name at Confirmation, and was Altar Boy at St. Patrick's in Adelaide) A very thin Irish
connection indeed.
Those who want to cringe at home and pull the blankets over their heads on that day, and get all huffy about what's "exclusively" Scottish. Well, let 'em.

As for me, I'm going to don my Irish National AND the Saffron Fly Plaid (that's right, - I'm actually going to defy the Kilt Police by mix 'n Match!!!)
I'll also wear a green Bow tie, and drape shamrock garlands around my neck, and have a wonderful - not drunken - time!
Go for it!

[PiobBear]

Okay, so St. Patrick's Day is the national holiday of Ireland and kilts are the Scottish national dress.

While not historically Irish, the kilt became popularized in the 1880’s by the Gaelic League and Irish patriots like Pádraig Pearse, Bernard FitzPatrick, Eamonn Ceannt, Douglas Hyde, and Pierce O’Mahony as a form of Irish national dress. While there are many modern Irish national, county, and family tartans, the most common and widely recognized is the solid colored saffron kilt first proposed by Pádraig Pearse, as worn by Bernard FitzPatrick and Pierce O’Mahoney while campaigning for home rule in Parliament in the 1880’s, by Douglas Hyde at his inauguration as the first President of Ireland in 1938, and by the pipers of the Irish Defense Forces and the Royal Irish Regiment today. Distinctively Irish solid color kilts are also seen in dark greens, blues, and reds, particularly among Irish dancers, at least in the pre-Michael Flatley days. That said, hardly anyone in Ireland who isn't in a pipe band wears kilts; other than pipers they were never adopted outside of the Nationalist intelligentsia.

This begs the question: Do I wear my kilt on St. Patrick's day?

Yes.

Will people think I am an idiot?

Compared to who? The stumbling incoherent drunks in the fluorescent green Afro wigs, stupid little green plastic bowler hats, and sequined shamrock deely-bobbers swilling green beer?

When I wouldn't answer a group of twenty-somethings "question", one of the guys yelled "He's no real Irishman!". I thought, "What an idiot." So, by wearing the kilt on an IRISH holiday, am I only adding to the prevailing ignorance surrounding the kilt, and thus furthering my own hypocrisy?

Not if you know your history (not that obnoxious Plastic Paddys who can't find Ireland on a map if their bar tab depended upon it could possibly care less). Some people carefully cultivate and revel in their ignorance (and on St Patrick's Day they attenuate it with alcohol), but you're just as likely to meet someone who's intelligent, polite, and genuinely interested and would like to hear a well researched and thought out answer.

However, if you work for tips (or don't want to get in a fight), it's perfectly acceptable in the above situation to smile and answer "Lipstick. On a good night, two shades!"
Some people at some times much prefer a good joke to a history lesson. Choose your battles.

I would truly like to know your thoughts on this. I know there are modern Irish tartans, but I think that is an inadequate answer.

See above. I wear saffron, a good friend wears County Mayo; another Ulster Red. Each would be more than happy to expound at length upon their tartans, their familial ties to Ireland and why they choose to wear the kilt.

Why do pipe and drum bands in the United States march and play (whilst kilted) in St. Patrick's Day parades?

Irish pipe bands (and there are a lot of them), civilian and military, wear kilts. The Emerald Societies of New York, Boston, and Chicago sponsor some of the oldest pipe bands in the US, and they would never consider stepping off on St Patrick's Day in trousers.

[McClef]

I am wearing a Kilt (since I do not have a Cilt) on St. David's Day, does that make me Welsh?

Wear the Kilt and wear it proud!

No but its great to celebrate it in a kilt in any case.

Happy St David's Day! Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus!

[PiobBear]

Police and fire departments are traditional occupations for Irish immigrants. That's why I've always wondered how scottish pipes and drums bands (dressed in highland regalia) became associated (iconic even) of police, fire, and military funerals and other events. Clearly those departments have strong associations with Irish immigrants, so why the Scottish identity? Were those early Irish firemen and policemen of mixed Scots-Irish descent?

Bagpipes were invented by the Irish, who in turn gave them to the Scots.

They never discovered the practical joke.

[PiobBear]

As for me, I'm going to don my Irish National AND the Saffron Fly Plaid (that's right, - I'm actually going to defy the Kilt Police by mix 'n Match!!!)

I routinely wear my saffron kilt & flashes with my rifle green caubeen, brat, and hose. While I've answered a lot of questions, no one's ever said a cross word, much less issued me a citation.

[JamieKerr]

...wear the kilt Jamie

You made me chuckle. I cannot argue with your logic, nor the fact that the beautiful kilt I just bought from Turpin is now sitting on my bed. It was clearly meant to be!