Things every Irish parent will say to their American kids this St. Patrick's Day "Did you see that one marching?"
An Irish parent in America is bound to come out with at least one of these fun‐ ny (or annoying...) phrases this March 17.
They may charm us with their clever wit year-round, but on St Patrick's Day, there are some key phrases that every child growing up in the US will definitely hear from their Irish parents!
"Get up, we'll be late for Mass!"
Ahem, Saint Patrick' s Day.
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"Get up, we'll be late for Mass!"
"How many sausages do you want?"
Long day ahead! Better line the stomach with a full Irish fry.
Did anyone say full Irish breakfast?
"Now, you do know who St. Patrick was, right?..."
Many Irish parents take the time on March 17 to explain St. Patrick's impor‐ tance to the history of Catholicism in Ireland. Yes, they do.
"Ah, bring your jacket for the parade, you'll freeze!"
Irish parents are never the ones to let their wee ones go cold, especially in un‐ seasonably warm weather like 70°F.
She's your father's cousin's husband's sister's aunt … Everyone knows everyone in the Irish community; throw them all together in a parade and it becomes a sea of cousins!
"Jesus, it's Galway, not Gaaaaalway."
American accents aren't always so kind to Irish pronunciations, and most native Irish are never shy to point it out. Which, of course, means an hours-long session at the local pub. Guinness, any‐ one?
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Guinness, anyone?
"Corned beef and cabbage isn't even Irish!"
The meal typically served on St. Patrick's Day isn't considered Irish by Irish from Ireland. Opt instead for some spuds and beef stew. That'll keep 'em happy ...
"Will I put on the kettle?"
As if this is even a matter of discussion after a day of parading and pubbing! Typical response: "Where's the Advil, mom?"
"Good craic, in fairness"
Yes, we had a great time. Reflect on the day spent with family and friends until the wee hours of the morning. *Originally published in2016,updated inMarch2024.
Dating back to 1762, the New York City celebration was once believed to be the oldest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the world.
In 2018, however, new research re‐ vealed that the oldest may, in fact, be in Florida. According to new research un‐ earthed in Florida, St. Augustine may
have well over a hundred years on Boston and New York, holding its first St
Patrick’s Day celebration in 1600 and its first parade in 1601.
Where is the world's longest celebration of St. Patrick’s Day?
This one may surprise you! Some say St. Patrick's Day is a bigger deal in the U.S. than it is in Ireland, but Montserrat in the Caribbean may top them both. The St. Patrick's festivities here go on for a solid week. In fact, Montserrat is the on‐ ly nation in the world other than Ireland that considers St. Patrick' s Day a na‐ tional holiday.
St. Patrick's Week in Montserrat in‐ cludes parades featuring costumed rev‐ elers wearing green shamrocks, con‐ certs with calypso, soca, and iron band music, church services, and dinners, and a special March 17 commemoration of an attempted slave revolt in 1768. You'll find Guinness on tap in the bars, hints of Irish cookery in the national dish (a stew called 'goat water'), and lots of Irish sur‐ names among the people. (Getty Images)
SFGate reports that "nobody does it weirder" than San Francisco on St. Patrick's Day, and the city has hosted 's‐ nake racing' for the holiday in the past.
Where is the world's largest sham‐ rock?
The world's largest shamrock is painted on the road in the town of O'Neill, which is the 'Irish capital' of Nebraska. Every year, they install a huge blarney stone at the corner of the Shamrock and have many festivities, including a public read‐ ing of the book, "Green Eggs and Ham." Do you know any weird or whacky St. Patrick's Day facts? Let us know in the comments!
*Originally published March2012,up‐ datedinMarch2024.