npr: In one sense, St. Patrick’s Day is a failure. The holiday as we know it in America was promoted
npr: In one sense, St. Patrick’s Day is a failure. The holiday as we know it in America was promoted by activists to celebrate Irish culture, in order to fight prejudice against Irish immigrants. Today, many of us celebrate by going out drinking and acting out the very stereotypes the day was created to combat. On the other hand, 150 years ago nativists in the U.S. were burning Irish Catholic churches to the ground. Today on St. Patrick’s Day, Americans of all backgrounds wear green, drink Guinness, and put on pins that say “Kiss me I’m Irish.” There’s something beautiful about that. In recent years, holidays associated with various other immigrant groups have begun to gain mainstream acceptance, most notably Cinco de Mayo, which has followed a similar path as St. Patrick’s Day – started by activists to celebrate Mexican culture, embraced by people just looking for a good time. Lunar New Year and Dia De Los Muertos are also well on their way. When one culture’s holiday becomes everyone’s excuse to party, what’s gained and what’s lost? And how does it feel when it’s your holiday? When Other Cultures’ Holidays Become An Excuse To Party Photo: RJ Sangosti/Denver Post via Getty Images -- source link