I think maybe I should just go into my office and close the door until AFTER St. Patrick's Day!

In one of the other threads, someone explained that all St. Patrick's Day is to us is another Holy Day of Obligation meaning Mass in the morning, maybe some private family greetings but no green beer, no trips to pubs and certainly no green bagels.

My grandfather used to tell me that things were a little different in the 1920s when the day was somehwat politcal in nature with toasts to Padriag Pearse were made or Masses said in memory of family men who died resisting the occupation. I'm too young (41) to have any association with those things.

My father remembers things a little differently and more fondly. The 1950s weren't a bad time to be Irish in NYC. He has pleasant memories of marching in the parade with his school and watching his uncles March with Ladder Companies or "Houses" (Precincts.) There are photos of me and mys sister as very young girls at the parade but I don't remember that much. The Easter parade was a much bigger deal socially.

Now Easter.. that was the blow-out holiday for us. New coats, bonnets and dresses from Grandmother, big photo taking sessions, To Mass and then to the Parade, huge afternoon meals with every cousin you never knew you had and so on. Bigger than Christmas even!

Interesting how things change with time. Easter is much less of a holiday and St. Patrick's much more of one.