St. Paddy's in Conyers

[Radge]

Could one of you North American chaps put me in the picture here please? I've seen a lot of Irish related stuff on this site, more so than if this site had it's origins in the UK IMHO. However, if more people find resonance in wearing the kilt then it's fine by me and more power to your elbow. However it seems like a lot of you find St Patrick's day an excuse to 'Kilt up' whether you're Scots, Scots-Irish or just plain Irish, or none of the above. Is this due to a general Pan-Celtic feeling of solidarity or just an excuse to go and have a good time?

St Patrick's day celebrations to my knowledge are actually more on an Irish-American phenomenon and are celebrated with great organisation and effort with a real carnival atmosphere; here in the UK (and dare I say Ireland) it's a wee bit more ambivalent and seen by some as more of an excuse to get drunk and as a unit shifting exercise by the Guinness brewery. Most 'native' Scotsmen wouldn't entertain the event on any level here in the UK.

Sorry if I've hi-jacked this thread, but I'm curious.

P.S. Have a great St Patrick's day.

[piperdbh]

In my experience, St. Patrick's Day in the US of A has become a general holiday, meaning anyone who so desires can claim to be Irish or not, and they can wear green, drink plenty of beer, and confuse Ireland, Scotland, Wales and any other nation around the world with any other nation around the world. Some folks use it as a day to educate others about the connections between Ireland and Scotland; others use it as a day for parades and parties. There's not any one answer to the questions listed above. And certainly not everyone in this country even observes the day. Those who do seem to get the attention.