Some Want St. Patrick's Day To Be 'shamrock Day'

[cmotherofpirl]

PC Police? Some Want St. Patrick's Day to Be 'Shamrock Day'
By Tim Graham
Created 2009-03-18 07:43
Terry Mattingly at Get Religion [1] found a story by Terri Jo Ryan in the Waco Tribune-Herald that may be the just the first signal of another saddening, secularizing trend: the sensitivity police changing the name of Saint Patrick’s Day. It might be offensive to someone, somewhere to discuss saints or great Christian missionaries like Patrick [2]:

Faith and begorrah, is nothing sacred?

Some folks are trying to transform the name of Tuesday’s holiday from St. Patrick’s Day to "Shamrock Day."

Card shops have banners proclaiming the occasion; the Disney Channel is using the term; and some places in this country have changed the name of their community celebrations of Celtic heritage to the "nonoffending" terminology.

In Ryan’s story [3], the local experts in Waco were appalled

"I’m afraid I could use all kinds of expressions that wouldn’t be principled to describe this trend," said Monsignor Mark Deering, 88, senior-most Catholic cleric in these parts.

Deering, retired pastor of St. Louis Catholic Church of Waco, came here from Ireland in 1953 as a freshly minted missionary priest and never left.

"I don’t think that would ever be a success to call it Shamrock Day," he said.

People the world over, of every culture and race, enjoy being Irish for the day, he added. And he said he’s heard no one take great umbrage before at having a Christian saint’s name attached to the day of merriment.

"In fact, in New York City, when the parade comes down Fifth Avenue, the Jews take more joy in it than almost anyone," Deering said.

But the organizers of Shamrock Day celebrations, such as the Habitot Children’s Museum in California, cite the need for "cultural diversity to our audience without broaching religious boundaries."

"A number of modern-day celebrations have their origins in religious holidays but have become broadly celebrated by everyone. Halloween and Mardi Gras are prime examples," the Habitot spokeswoman said, as reported on CustosFidei.blogspot.com [4] on March 14, 2007.

Say hi to Tito if you hang out at Custos Fidei. Mattingly concluded:

So if this is a trend or even a mini-trend, where is the national coverage? Put this up on the Drudge Report or let Chris Matthews tee off on it and we’d have a firestorm, especially if President Barack Obama were to take a shot at this topic during one of his scheduled meetings today with Irish-American leaders.

I'll end with the joke I made at lunch with my co-workers the other day. As one of them expressed disgust at Obama offering Britain's leader some DVDs (which may not even work in European DVD players), they wondered what the Irish leaders would get.

"A box of Lucky Charms," I suggested.

[Socrates]

Well, we already have "Turkey Day"

Next, "Pine Tree Day" and "Egg Day"?

[CatherineM]

$%&*#@

Sorry, I've got an Irish temper. It's time one of us wins the lottery and buys a deserted island somewhere as a safe haven.

[Paladin D]

Just watch, they'll start changing the names of cities named after Saints and other religious figures.

[MissyP89]

It would never work.

[puellapaschalis]

I think St. Paddy's day should be scrapped because I don't like green

Oh, and you'd think someone would have tried to change the name of San Francisco by now, with that logic.

[Mary's Son]

My wife is boycotting Disney since they changed it to Shamrock Day.

All those Catholic kids they won't be getting to visit.

[goldbug16]

$%&**&^^%$#%^@^!!!!!!!!!!!

[homeschoolmom]

I will not comment or I will have to warn and edit myself.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1811425' date='Mar 19 2009, 10:02 AM']I will not comment or I will have to warn and edit myself.[/quote]
I'll do it for you: atheistic, addle-brained, amoral, mis-directed poppycock.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1811430' date='Mar 19 2009, 09:17 AM']I'll do it for you: atheistic, addle-brained, amoral, mis-directed poppycock.[/quote]
Actually, I was going to make comments about what we should call Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Rosh Hashanah, and Ramadan... but I decided not to.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='puellapaschalis' post='1811369' date='Mar 19 2009, 02:52 AM']I think St. Paddy's day should be scrapped because I don't like green

Oh, and you'd think someone would have tried to change the name of San Francisco by now, with that logic.[/quote]

I think the reason they haven't yet is that they don't realize what San Francisco stands for. Plus the only group larger than the gay group in San Francisco area, are the Hispanics, who would be really peeved at the suggestion.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1811440' date='Mar 19 2009, 10:43 AM']Actually, I was going to make comments about what we should call Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Rosh Hashanah, and Ramadan... but I decided not to. [/quote]
Nah you don't want to report yourself

[Galloglasses' Alt]

Sometimes I wish I wouldn't be censored for cursing profously on Phatmass.

Now is such a time.

[Lounge Daddy]

How are Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, as celebrated by the general public, Catholic at all anyway? Other than possibly reinforcing negative stereotypes -- getting drunk, etc. hehe

Maybe it's for the best that only Catholics call the day for a saint, and the rest can continue to use the day as an excuse to party and drink and ...well, drink some more.