Do Irish Protestants celebrate St. Pats?
 

Settle a bet for me.

One of us says that it would be insane if the Protestants in Ireland celebrated a Catholic saint, given all the religious bloodshed.

The other one of us says that ALL Irish people celebrate St. Patrics Day. It's about being Irish, not Catholic.

So.... who's right here? I want to hear it from a person who lives/lived in Ireland.

Edit: Oops, didn't see the from Ireland part.

I can check for you as soon as I see my friend in Ireland online again, its kind of late there now so I doubt she'll be online again until tomorrow

I always heard in Ireland the protestants wear orange on St. Pats day and do not celebrate any day honoring any saint.

As always I could be wrong.

Irish I were drunk

/me wishes homerhop was still active...

Orange is the color of Irish Protestantism. The Irish Flag is a stripe of green, representing Catholics, a stripe of orange, representing Protestants, and a stripe of white, representing the hope of peace between the two.

I proudly wore orange today as I am Protestant and I have a wee bit of Irish blood in me...it always amazes all the Catholics that dodn't know why we non-Catholics wear our Orange.

So Protestant Irish do not in fact celebrate St. Patty's day?

man, i wish i would of known about the orange history. IT"S ORANGE FROM NOW ON!

I used to wear orange... until my fiance's Irish Catholic family freaked out. They thought I was trying to make a statement. They say, "It's like wearing a KKK hood on MLK day!"

I don't wear orange anymore.

I'm sure it's the same as Jews not celebrating Christmas.

So it looks like we're all counting on the lovely and talented ShaniFaye to clear this up.

(I did not know what day it was when I got dressed today. I'm wearing no green. I'm wearing orange. Hmmm....)

what if you wore a green shirt with an orange stripe?

criminy--i forgot about this goofball holiday. and somewhere in my background there apparently lurks some irish--but it turns out that i'm wearing a green shirt (by accident), a sweatshirt with orange piping, a black t-shirt and will be wearing a tan jacket when i go out.

so that's green orange AND black and tan (the colors of cromwell's army that massacred the irish in great number in the 17th century).

if i was in south boston dressed like this, i'd get beat up.

lol I've sent her an email....so as soon as she answers I will let you know if no one else has answered it for you

Hah. Symbolism: A good excuse to get pissed off.

(Also a very appropriate St. Pattie's Day beverage!)

Keep in mind that "celebration of St. Patrick's day" in Ireland means "go to church". It is not a "drink and parade and drink" holiday - that's just in the United States.

From what I've read, the 'US style' of celebration has migrated to Ireland in several cities.

I wonder if most know that Maewyn Succat was a slave captured from Britain. Not really Irish at all.

I'm pretty sure most in Ireland would know.

He escaped from slavery, and then returned to Ireland after his religious education. His time as a slave let him learn the language/customs and then he spent 30 years converting the Irish.

this was her answer:

Well you are both partly right to the St Pats question

There are SOME Irish Protestants that celebrate St Patrick's Day in the Republic and think that is a question of idenity
In the North it has been known to spark riots and bloodshed and be as contentious as the Marching Season
So in the Republic of Ireland both Church of Ireland and Catholics celebrate it in Northern Ireland it can be a thorny issue

Thanks. I'll tear the ten in half.

No Protestants do no celebrate St Patricks day here. Its classed as a Nationalist/ Republican celebration. The younger Protestants might go out on the beer since it is a national holiday but I do know that if you wish the older generation a ahappy St Patricks day they will tell you straight out they do not celebrate that day.

homer, thanks for showing up...

i miss ya, buddy...

I thought the White Stripe was for the French.

/ Pretty sure Northern Irish Protestants wear orange on St. Pats.