St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with quite a bit of enthusiasm in these parts, with plenty of corned beef and cabbage to be had, the wearin’ of the green the fashion of the day, Irish music being played in pubs and on the radio, and local television stations featuring everything from how to make green beer local step dancing troupes performing.
Chicago and the suburbs surrounding it boast a large Irish American population; a proud people whose heritage enriches the lives of all us, especially Herself, for you see, Himself is half Irish. Here on the Cutoff, we celebrate with a slow cooked corned beef cabbage and carrot dinner, which is preceded by aromas wafting from the oven of Irish soda bread, and, yes, a glass of beer raise in a toast with. My soda bread recipe is here, as well as how it came to be in our family.
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The City of Chicago has several St. Patrick’s Day parades, one down Columbus Drive along Lake Michigan, the other on Chicago’s south side, with several suburbs boasting large parades as well. I know for I’ve marched in a few myself.
Picture source and information can be found at http://www.chicagostpatsparade.com/river-dye.html
Come mid March, the Chicago River faithfully turns a shade of emerald green; a sight to behold, especially for a river that flows backwards.
Now, my friends, I’m a bit sluggish today for all the soda bread I’ve stuffed into my mouth, so I’ll leave you with these few pictures, links, and video of St. Paddy’s Day the Chicago way.
Himself and I enjoy the lilt and lyrics of a well-known Chicago group called Arranmore. I’ve posted about their rendition of Danny Boy, which always has us weeping, here. They have another song, which plays on local radio shows on St. Patrick’s Day, that is always good fun to hear. It is called South Side Irish.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Have you ever marched in a parade?
I enjoyed reading about the celebration….just as with Columbus Day and Mardi Gras, St Pat’s was not really that big a deal in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve enjoyed taking part in all of those celebrations in different places in our travels though…but we didn’t see that green river! That’s amazing.
Only in Chicago would a river be dyed green, Sallie. I think New York, Boston, and Chicago are really the only big cities where St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in such a grand scale. We do have a Columbus Day parade. Isn’t it fun to celebrate these things all around in your travels.
There’s enough Irish in me to set my feet tapping when I hear music like this. Thank you; I love to hear it as I type my comments. (I also enjoy watching the drummer sing as he plays)
St Patricks Day was celebrated here, but not such a big deal. The emerald river is very striking.
You are welcome, Juliet. We’ve seen Arranmore a few times, once in a very small venue, and they are really amazing musicians.
I think St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with more gusto here in the States than elsewhere. We do like big celebrations here. A city like Chicago is so big and is comprised of so many different ethnic groups and cultures, that there is always something being celebrated. St. Paddy’s Day is among the biggest, though.
Dear Penny, I’m sorry to have missed so many of your delightful postings. But this one about being Irish hit home–my mom’s maiden name was O’Mara and my name–Ready–is a shortened form of an Irish name. One of my grandmothers was Celtic from Wales and the other English. So I’m 3/4s Celtic. And glad to be!!! I think that’s why my brother and I love to tell stories.
There’s no Irish parade around here but I did represent Ireland on the Santa-Cali-Gon parade back in 1945, which celebrated the fact that Independence was the jumping off spot for the Westward journey to Santa Fe, California, and Oregon.
I stood on St. Mary’s Grade School float, wearing a green crepe paper vest over my white shirt and a green crepe paper skirt with a white crepe paper ruffle at the bottom and my sandals and green socks. Across my flat chest was a placard that said, “Ireland.” And I was so proud! Peace.
I’m glad you were able to read this post, Dee. Your strong Irish heritage, may surely be a part of why you and your brother love to tell stories.
What a strong part of our US history begins with Independence, and how delightful it is to hear about your repesentation in the Santa-Cali-Gon parade. Once again, Dee, your photographic memory takes me back to 1945 and what you wore that day you represented Ireland. I’m amazed at your detail.
I hope you are feeling better and am thinking about you.
Lovely piece, Penny: we don’t celebrate St Patricks Day to the same extent here, but it’s nice to read how it’s done in Chicago!
We tend to overdo here in the States, Kate, and love a celebration here in these parts, especially when it comes to observances like St. Patrick’s Day, when, it seems, everyone is Irish. Chicago is rich in many, many cultures, but even the river turns green in March. Thank you.
MTM’s favorite pub in Chicago is still the Duke of Perth. Scottish, but no matter. We go there every time we visit Chicago. Nothing to do with St Patricks Day, which we avoid. But, it feels the same somehow.
Now, I have not been there, Andra, but, checked out the menu and sounds like I should. I’m sure it was filled on St. Patrick’s Day, for all of Chicagoland seems to turn Irish. We stay home on St. Paddy’s Day, enjoying our own “bill of fare” and avoiding the crowds and all that comes with it.
This was so enjoyable, Penny. Not much is made of Saint Patrick’s Day here in Wales to my knowledge. Certainly I have never heard of parades or any public observances, though of course the situation will be very different just across the Irish sea.
I’m pleased to hear it, Perpetua. I hear tell that we Yanks do up St. Patrick’s Day with even more fanfare that your neighbors across the Irish Sea. The parades are wonderful fun – and an advantage for politicians who walk in them just before local elections. Still in all, we enjoy the holiday here on the Cutoff.
I feel bad that I missed this great St. Patrick’s Day post on St. Patrick’s Day! I was probably too busy making Irish Stew for the first time in my life – a meal that Declan said reminded him of his childhood. I love this song because I am a ‘Southsider’ and St. Paddy’s for me was always the South Side Parade in Beverly!
Oh, your Irish Stew sounds like it must have been quite the success to bring such a compliment from Declan. You will have to tell me about sometime when can meet up for coffee, Janet. Isn’t it a great song? They used to play it on St. Patrick’s Day on WGN.
I so wanted to get to the Irish Heritage Center in March. We never made it there, but, will try some time soon. Seems life keeps getting in the way these days.
I just remembered that I bought caraway seeds. I was going to try making a soda bread with them after you spoke about it. Must do that still.