Going Green

When we were kids, back in the elementary school days, St. Patrick's day was celebrated much the same as today. Cut-outs of shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold and of course everyone wore some shred of green clothing. The latter seemed particularly important, as one was often publicly scolded by their peers for the unthinkable transgression of failure to don the Irish national colour.

The thing is, I'm Scottish. I was born in Prestwick on the west coast of Scotland to parents who, to the best of my knowledge, had no Irish ancestry. At least none that they would publicly acknowledge. Which is why my parents would only grudgingly accept our participation in St. Patrick's day festivities, reminding my brothers and I that we were NOT Irish.

If you grew up in Canada, a generation or two removed from your ancestry, you might not get why my parents were so adamant about distinguishing themselves from the Irish. Without getting into and in-depth history lesson, it's fair to say that Scotland, Ireland and England didn't always play nice together. There were frequent disputes (read: wars) over land, allegiance to the empire, religion etc., etc. For the Irish, conflicts with England are not too distant in their collective memories.

Great Britain may appear to the casual observer as one big happy family, but scratch the surface and you will uncover nationalist pride that make Quebec separatists look like moderates.

The one thing Scottish and Irish natives do agree on is their lingering dislike of England. Of course most of this resentment is culturally based and has nothing to do with any recent conflicts with the English (except, again, for the Irish). Nonetheless, national pride runs deep in the hearts and minds of the Scots and Irish, and usually at the expense of the English.

I was born in Scotland but arrived in Canada as an infant, so in many ways I consider myself a de-facto Canadian. While I grew up with a sense of Scottish nationalist pride, it is only one part of my identity.

For many of us, celebrating St. Patrick's day means a lot of things. For some it is truly a celebration of their heritage; for others it is a celebration of a global cultural event; and for many it is the celebration of an event that has become a unique feature of their community.

What makes St. Patrick's day so remarkable is the variety of celebrations from city to city across North America, and the world. Each one incorporating its own distinct cultural characteristics and showcasing local talents, organizations and achievements. For an event that focuses primarily on one nation's pride, it is an oddly global unifying experience.

The key word here is celebration and honestly what living breathing Scot or Englishman, anglophone, allophone or francophone, can resist that?

So raise a pint of Guinness, or the green tinted beverage of your choice, and declare Erin Go Bragh, Ireland forever, and toast the greatest gift the Irish have given the world. Another excuse to celebrate.

And we can always do with that.