A totally unnecessary and ridiculous holiday, which, by the way, is not celebrated in Ireland. Just another excuse for people to get sh*tfaced, as if they needed an excuse to begin with. If you like the sight of drunks reeling about in the streets, and people puking on themselves and fist fights erupting outside of gin mills, this is the holiday for you. Erin Go Barf.

I like St Patrick's day almost as much as Halloween. Its fun to see people enjoying themselves so much...the servers had on all kinds of gadgets...green antler like headbands with shamrocks...flashing rings, necklaces and earrings...one customer came in with glasses, hat and some flashing things around his neck. Everyone out was having fun!

As a kid in Catholic school, I believed that the Irish ran the world, because this was the day they could terrorize the rest of us with impunity. As I grew older, I learned a little history, and discovered that I was sadly mistaken. The Irish, particularly the Catholic Irish, have survived a brutally oppressive past. As a result, many of the Irish people I know are pissed that their complex history gets reduced to this holiday, with its tacky staples like shamrocks, bagpipes, and beers with food coloring in it. I am starting to think that this holiday is really more for the benefit of the bar and restaurant business. Nonetheless, if you can avoid the parades and go out with your friends (whether Irish or not) instead, it is a fine excuse to down a few pints or some Jameson's whiskey. (Like I need an excuse.) Just pour out a little in memory of that history.

I appreciate any holiday that calls for a good time. I don't get the anger in some of the previous reviewers. If you don't like it just don't celebrate it. Me, I made Corned Beef and Cabbage last night as I always do.

I find a large degree of heavy irony in reading samjung23's bigoted little rant below. For a reviewer who regularly does his poor pitiful put upon victim of racism act on here, he shows fairly strong tendencies in that direction himself. And not just about the Irish. In another recent comment he refers to Japanese teachers speaking "Engrish" (not a typo, I suspect, if you read it in context) There is a final irony in a person who has described himself repeatedly as part East Indian, weighing in on the British side on the Irish question. Perhaps a little history reading on the actions of the British in India is in order. Original comment: You want the day off? Move to Newfoundland, its a statutory holiday there. As to wearing green, I usually can't be bothered to remember, and I will not drink beer with green food colouring in it. But it's a good excuse to nip down to the boozer for a pint of Guinness. Like I need much of an excuse.

I am irish and this is not a celebration of Irish heritage, nor should one need to celebrate ones heritage by having a holiday for it. When will people quit making excuses to create useless celebrations? St.Patrick was really just a Catholic saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. He was an honored and admired figure to the Irish Catholics during that time. He came up with the idea of the clover and attached it as a symbol to the holy trinity. They then added a bunch of irish pegan/celt legends such as the leprechaun and a pot of gold and before you know it you had this day called "Saint Patrick's Day."

Ah, shore'n 'tis Saint Paddy's Day! I've never really taken issue with the decorative nature of this holiday (the greening of all things can get sickening, but it's over a day later); not being one to partake of spiritous beverages has also made me moderately indifferent to that aspect of the day, as well. Where I become less-than-sanguine is with the "historic" recountings of "Saint" Patrick, whose real name was Maewyn Succat, and wasn't of Irish descent (he was born in Scotland in 387). Kidnapped by Irish looters when he was 16, he was sold as a slave to a guy named Milchu, a local warlord who ruled what would now be present-day Antrim. Tended sheep until he was 22 (why are most prominent religious personalities shepherds?), when voices in his head told him to beat cheeks back to Britain (he attributed the voices to "angelic intervention"; most would've chalked it up to good sense). Made it back home, and dedicated himself to Providence by becoming a priest under the instruction of St. Germain; together, they then went about "purifying" the countryside (that's short-hand for uprooting and burying the indigenous and disagreeable "pagans"). Pope Celestine I, salivating at the thought of bigger real estate deals, gave Patrick the mission of "gathering the Irish race into the one fold of Christ", which he did with violent aplomb. Over the years, he was alleged to have fulfilled all of the "saintly" gewgaws (healing the sick, raising the dead, yada-yada-yada); legend was, he did such a good job that God promised Patrick that he --instead of Jesus-- would be judge of Ireland on the eve of the Apocalypse (and that a killer tidal wave would be heaven-sent to destroy any Irishmen foolish enough to throw in with the Antichrist during the Tribulation). Breaking with tradition, Patrick died of natural causes in 493 (which would've made him an unlikely 106 years old). So, raise a pint of ruddy nectar to this bit of murderous blarney, and thank your lucky shamrocks he won't be coming after YOUR pot of gold.

Having Irish blood in my body I say "what's the big deal?" Why can't the Irish have their day? "Donovan," such a good Irish name! (PS: I don't drink but I love the color green)

I don't celebrate it myself, nor wear green, but am not ashamed of my ancestry either. Something tells me that reviewer samjung must have got a mcbeating by a leprechaun in third grade.

Personally speaking, I enjoy this holiday. It comes during lent, and the tradition was that you could take a break from whatever you had given up for lent on St. Patrick's Day. This appealed to young and old alike. Catholicism was always very much part of the Irish identity, and when the Republic was young, this and the Irish language were two tangible elements that distinguished Ireland from it's empire-building neighbour to the east. So the holiday, which is technically a religious holiday, was always infused with a sense of nationalism, and it is really celebrated as sort of an Irish 4th of July. I admit that I am somewhat overwhelmed by its popularity in other countries, and have to believe that a large part of the appeal of the holiday is that it is traditionally celebrated with lashings of whiskey and beer and that sort of celebration tends to have a popular touch in many cultures. This year, I will be in Singapore on Paddy's Day, so I am curious to see what they offer (although somehow I have the feeling I am not in for any great surprises).

A lovely holiday for meriment. Just try not to overdo it if you have to drive (hick).

In the older, northeastern, more ethnic cities this "holiday" is still celebrated by many. "Amateur Night, " I like that. When I lived in Syracuse, on Tipperary Hill, this was the only day bigger than the Regatta. As a young buck, we'd all get out of work early and meet at Coleman's or Nibsey Ryan's. Under the upside down traffic light (near "Stone-Thrower's Park" today) a huge green shamrock would be painted on the street and people would do jigs and riels there all day and all night. Whew.

I am zero percent Irish, so no, I do not celebrate this day, although I will go and have a plate of corned beef and cabbage. I do not have a problem with non-Irish celebrating this day, people like to have fun, there's nothing wrong with that, just like Halloween. Why must every holiday have these rigid codes as to why it is celebrated and who can celebrated it?

Hated this holiday as a kid when I forgot to wear green to school. Always tried to say that I was wearing fruit of the loom and my apple wasn't ripe.

Martha, who can hold her booze, always calls the local St. Paddys day celebration, Amateurs' Night. I have some buddys who are retired like me and we meet, get a snoot full, and have a good time.

What a terrible excuse for a holiday, he is the patron saint of Ireland not the USA yet we celebrate it more than the Irish it makes no sense. I wear red white a blue every March 17th.

i've never been a monumental fan of this holiday, even though i overindulge in booze daily. just something about going to a bar with overzealous folks who can't hold their liquor pouring back a green beer. not my bag. also when i was a kid at Pittsburgh's annual St. Patrick's Day parade, Ronald McDonald was there(although i thought he was Scotish?) anyway, the punk was throwing bagels from a moving car and one smacked me right in the mouth....lousy corporate clown.

you all claim to have a bit of irish in ye. but do u know wat it means to be irish. it may be a day of drinking and praying but it is also a day we remember st paddy converted us.im proud to be irsih all year around. slan go foil and have a great st paddy's day this year

Hey Paddy, Whisky and Guinness day and be OIRISH for a day.....

The leprachaun told me to burn things.

This Irish celebration seems to be spreading throughout the anglophone world. Why, I have no idea, nor would I want to celebrate it unless I were in Ireland or my hosts were Irish.

Just ate some corned beef and cabbage for lunch today to feel in touch with my Irish roots. Would you believe there are nine times as many people in the United States who claim to have Irish roots as there are people currently living in Ireland? In America, St. Paddy's Day doesn't have the same religious significance that it does in Ireland. It's not even an offical national holiday. Essentially, it's become an occasion swill green beer, wear flamboyant green clothing, and parade drunkenly through the streets singing a mangled version of Danny Boy. Forgetting to wear green on March 17 is not advised, as some Americans (Irish or not) will use this as an excuse to pinch you. Legend tells us St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland, although historians insist there weren't any snakes in Ireland to drive out. Still, Ireland's beloved patron saint is credited with converting the Irish to Christianity using Ireland's national symbol, the three-leafed shamrock, to teach the concept of the Holy Trinity. St. Patrick is believed to have born in 389 A.D.

Even though I am not Irish nor Catholic, I haven't forgotten to observe the holiday of Ireland's patron saint. I am wearing green to celebrate today in anticipation that some of that luck of the Irish will rub off on me. Of course, today can't be complete without a drink in celebration of all things Irish. That is why me and my friends (along with one of my professors!) are planning after class to go to the local pub for a beer.

St Patrick's Day has always been my favorite holiday. This is my one day of year that I treat like my own birthday. Better than Christmas, too !

Stupid holiday. Pointless. No reasons to celebrate it at all. We don't even get school off!

My family is of Irish Catholic origin, so I have a soft spot in my heart for this holiday. However, I really don't care too much about it anymore- and am getting tired of getting pinched when I forget to wear green. However, it does give you an excuse to dress ridiculously for a day.

Wear green or you get pinched. Simple enough.

I don't like eating corn beef and cabbage and drinking beer and I'm not even Irish.

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day! Even this Italian-American kid from the suburbs of Jersey. I love it!

The Perfect Day! GReen, green, green!

Pretty cool! I think Leprechauns are awesome!

This is my favorite holiday, being part Irish. I just wish the people of this country (USA) knew the actual meaning of it. It is a religous holiday in Ireland, people. NOT a day to party and get drunk!! Read up about it, okay?!

When I was in college, I was surprised to hear this is actually observed as a religious holiday in Ireland -since it has more or less become an excuse to have a parade and a big drinking party in the U.S. I think it may have been adopted here for just that reason. I like it though, because I like to remember my Irish roots and think of how St. Patrick explained the Holy Trinity using the shamrock. Such a simple, beautiful story. Oh, and in grade school I loved these great shamrock cookies the room mothers always gave us at our St. Patrick's day parities. Erin go braugh!

My enjoyment of Saint Patrick's Day has varied wildly over the years - maybe 2 stars when I was in grade school, 5 stars when I was in college, and 3 stars today. The problem in grade school, of course, came when you forgot to wear something green, and all the kids would pinch the hell out of you. But then in college, when we didn't need much of an excuse to drink too much, St. Patrick's Day became a day of amazing parties (my favorite college party ever was a huge all-day St. Patrick's party). Now, though, St. Patrick's Day just kind of comes and goes without much fuss either way...