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Mar. 17th, 2006 10:26 am
Lá Fhéile Póite shona dhaoibh!
We're well into the 17th of March here, yet no one has wished my a happy St. Patrick's and I've only seen one person conspicuously wearing green. What gives?
I was musing the other day about how odd it is to have a national holiday (official or otherwise) dedicated to celebrating the heritage of a particular ethnic group. The only other example I can think of is Columbus Day, which has been seized upon by Italian-Americans.
Not that there aren't local examples. Here in Chicago, we have Pulaski Day and Von Steuben Day, each obstensibly recognising the contributions of a Revolutionary War general, but in actual fact celebrations for the Polish-American and German-American communities, respectively. (No disrespect intended toward these fine men, but if we really wanted to recognise military prowness there would be a Lafayette Day. I guess Chicago's French-American community has always been cloutless.) Are they observed any else but here? I never heard of either of them in St. Louis, which wouldn't be a fraction what it is without German settlers.
I wonder if there wouldn't be a German equivalent to St. Patrick's Day if not for the Germanophobia unleashed by WWI. I'm more surprised that there's not a national holiday for African-American heritage, just a diffuse month of awareness. And Chicanos? Cinco de Mayo, the day of El Grito, the feast of Our Lady of Guadelupe, Dia de los Muertos--these are all holidays imported from Mexico, none of them dedicated to those north of the border.
I was musing the other day about how odd it is to have a national holiday (official or otherwise) dedicated to celebrating the heritage of a particular ethnic group. The only other example I can think of is Columbus Day, which has been seized upon by Italian-Americans.
Not that there aren't local examples. Here in Chicago, we have Pulaski Day and Von Steuben Day, each obstensibly recognising the contributions of a Revolutionary War general, but in actual fact celebrations for the Polish-American and German-American communities, respectively. (No disrespect intended toward these fine men, but if we really wanted to recognise military prowness there would be a Lafayette Day. I guess Chicago's French-American community has always been cloutless.) Are they observed any else but here? I never heard of either of them in St. Louis, which wouldn't be a fraction what it is without German settlers.
I wonder if there wouldn't be a German equivalent to St. Patrick's Day if not for the Germanophobia unleashed by WWI. I'm more surprised that there's not a national holiday for African-American heritage, just a diffuse month of awareness. And Chicanos? Cinco de Mayo, the day of El Grito, the feast of Our Lady of Guadelupe, Dia de los Muertos--these are all holidays imported from Mexico, none of them dedicated to those north of the border.