The Feast of St. Patrick is an ancient religious and cultural festival that came to the United States with the Irish diaspora. St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the national celebrations most drenched in alcohol. A movement to promote Sober St. Patrick’s Day is returning the celebration to its origins, a day of family and community gatherings.
Wearing green, parades, and partying occurs across the United States by Irish descendants and anyone wanting to be Irish for the day. The Chicago River is dyed green for the day, and New York’s parade is the largest in the world. Originally a day for family gatherings, silliness with the children, and religious significance, the bars used to be closed in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day. But heavy marketing by the alcohol industry helped commercialize the day, leading to the institution of the “pub crawl” and the continuous consumption of alcohol on the day. St. Patrick’s Day has become the fourth most-celebrated drinking day in America, right after New Year’s Eve, Christmas Day, and July Fourth.
Contrary to popular belief, there is more to St. Patrick’s Day than heavy drinking and wild partying, especially if you want to celebrate it in a way that is true to its heritage. As the season approaches, the luck of the Irish can be with everyone, regardless of whether you drink or not. Pull out your four-leaf clover decorations and embrace the day with these ways to celebrate without drinking a drop of alcohol.
- Attend a parade, even virtually.
- Cook a traditional Irish meal.
- Listen to Irish music.
- Learn an Irish dance.
- Spend time with sober friends.
- Look for and attend sober events in your community.
- Attend a 12- step meeting,
Celebrate Ireland as an amazing, friendly, and beautiful land. Its’ ancient scribes were responsible for saving a lot of the Latin and Greek literature we have today. Its’ culture is rich, its’ poets and writers are awesome, its’ warriors are fierce, and its’ traditions are worthy of respect and celebration.
Happy Sober St. Patrick’s Day!
