St. Patrick’s Day, an originally religious holiday honoring St. Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland, has come to be marked with the wearing of green and the drinking of mass amounts of alcohol. A rich Irish culture lends itself to the day’s festivities, whether it is with a good drowning of the shamrock or a morning-after, traditional hangover cure. So, button up your best Aran sweater, strike up a good game of Irish hurling and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day right. These are the five St. Patrick’s Day traditions we’re obsessing about this week.
Hangover Cure
Ireland is a country famous, or infamous, for its stereotypical drinking habits. Along with all of this alleged drinking comes the aftermath — the dreaded hangover. For those of you planning to party on St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish have got a cure for the inevitable sickness: burying the afflicted person up to his or her neck in moist river sand. We don’t know why this unusual practice cures hangovers, but since the Broad River runs right through Columbia, stumble over to the bank and get digging.
Birthday Traditions
It is an Irish tradition that on someone’s birthday, those celebrating with him have to lift him up by the ankles and gently bump his head against the floor. Not just once, but once for every year of the person’s life, plus one. The idea is to bring the birthday boy or girl good luck, not head trauma, though a two-for-one deal seems possible. The Irish are famously lucky, so gather your strongest friends for your next birthday bash and try it out.
Drowning the Shamrock
On St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, the tradition used to be to pin a shamrock to one’s coat in honor of St. Patrick’s use of the shamrock in explaining the idea of the holy trinity. At the end of they day, the shamrocks were put into the bottom of a glass and “drowned” with whiskey. While the custom may seem slightly sacrilegious (drowning a symbol of religion with alcohol?), it’s an entertaining idea. If you’ll be drinking this St. Patrick’s Day, add in some festive foliage and celebrate the namesake’s religious teachings.
Aran Sweater
The Aran sweater, which is often referred to as the fisherman sweater, has come to be a fashion staple in Ireland, England and the U.S. Identified by its cable-knit, wool cardigan style, it was traditionally used in Irish Gaelic culture as a family identifier — each family having its own trade weave. Named after the Aran Islands on the west coast, it was used to identify fishermen lost at sea. Fish don’t eat wool.
Irish Hurling
Hurling is the most traditional and famous sport in Ireland next to Gaelic football. Endorsed by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it uses a wooden stick called a hurley to hit a small ball called a sliotar into a goal. No protective padding is used in the sport, and shouldering is allowed, so the game, which has been played for over 3,000 years, fosters a good spirit of tough Irish love.