Another Look into the Holidays We Celebrate: St. Patrick’s Day

March 17th. A day when the streets run green, bars overflow with Guinness, and the air fills with slurred renditions of "Danny Boy." For many, St. Patrick’s Day serves as an excuse for excessive drinking while donning cheap leprechaun hats. But behind the parade floats and shamrock-shaped sunglasses lies a troubling history of cultural suppression, religious persecution, and the commodification of an entire nation's identity.

For those of us in the BDSM and kink community—where power dynamics, consent, and authenticity are core values—perhaps it's time we reflect on the origins of this holiday. How did it transform into a garish spectacle that does little to honor Ireland's rich and complex past?

The Dark Origins: St. Patrick and the Eradication of Pagan Ireland

Many people believe St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Irish culture. However, it primarily honors the man credited with converting Ireland to Christianity. This conversion was far from peaceful.

The most famous legend associated with St. Patrick is that he "drove the snakes out of Ireland." But here’s the twist: Ireland never had snakes. Historians widely agree that this story serves as a metaphor for his efforts to expel the "pagans"—the native Irish who practiced their own spiritual traditions long before Christianity arrived.

According to historian Mary Condren, PhD, from Trinity College Dublin:

"The story of the snake is nothing but Christian propaganda. The reality is that St. Patrick and his followers worked to dismantle Ireland’s ancient religious traditions, replacing them with Christian doctrine. The 'snakes' were the Druids, and they were driven out, not through persuasion, but through destruction."

During Patrick’s mission, sacred sites were seized or repurposed. Pagan symbols were demonized, and those who refused to convert faced punishment, exile, or even execution. The traditional Celtic belief system, which centered around nature worship, polytheism, and oral storytelling, was systematically suppressed.

One glaring example of this erasure is the shamrock, now one of the most recognizable symbols of St. Patrick’s Day. While it’s associated with Irish pride today, it was originally a sacred plant used in Druidic rituals. Patrick allegedly co-opted the shamrock to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—thereby replacing its original spiritual significance.

Cultural Genocide and Forced Conversion

St. Patrick’s efforts were not isolated incidents. They were part of a larger campaign by the Catholic Church to spread Christianity across Europe, often using violence and coercion. The Vatican viewed indigenous spiritual traditions in Ireland as a threat to its power. Patrick was just one of many missionaries sent to "civilize" the so-called heathens.

Much like the forced Christianization of other regions—such as the destruction of Norse mythology or the erasure of indigenous beliefs in the Americas—this campaign resulted in significant cultural losses.

As scholar Peter Berresford Ellis explains in his book The Druids:

"What we call ‘Christianization’ of Ireland was, in reality, a forced restructuring of an entire society. The old gods were turned into demons, their followers turned into heretics, and their stories either erased or twisted beyond recognition."

To put it bluntly: St. Patrick’s "miracle" was nothing short of religious imperialism.

The Irish in America: From Oppression to Stereotypes

Centuries later, Ireland faced another devastating blow—the Great Famine (1845-1852). This tragedy led to the deaths of over a million people and forced millions more to flee to America. However, rather than finding refuge, Irish immigrants encountered hostility, bigotry, and brutal working conditions.

They were ridiculed as lazy, untrustworthy, and—most infamously—drunken fools. Early St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America were not about pride but about survival. They served as a means for the Irish to assert their presence in a country that viewed them as second-class citizens.

The infamous "No Irish Need Apply" signs were stark reminders of their unwelcoming status. Over time, as Irish immigrants gained political power, St. Patrick’s Day was rebranded into a celebration of "Irish pride"—one that America could commodify and sell.

Today, that legacy persists but manifests differently. The holiday has devolved into a crude spectacle where people with no real connection to Irish culture get wasted on green beer, staggering through the streets and yelling, "Kiss me, I’m Irish!"

As Irish comedian Ed Byrne once remarked:

"St. Patrick’s Day has become the one day a year when people feel entitled to be as obnoxiously drunk as possible and call it ‘Irish culture.’"

Perpetuating Harmful Stereotypes

The modern interpretation of St. Patrick’s Day does little to honor Ireland’s history. Instead, it reinforces harmful stereotypes that have plagued the Irish for centuries.

Consider Hollywood and pop culture's portrayal of the Irish. Drunkenness. Fisticuffs. Leprechauns. Loud, bumbling men and feisty redheaded women. These are the caricatures that get celebrated on March 17th—not the true struggles and achievements of the Irish people.

Furthermore, there’s the "Plastic Paddy" phenomenon—a term for people who claim Irish heritage but know nothing about the country beyond beer and shamrocks. These individuals often wear shirts proclaiming "Irish Today, Hungover Tomorrow" and mistakenly believe that ordering a Guinness makes them honorary Dubliners.

Author Tom Hayden, in his book Irish on the Inside, puts it bluntly:

"The worst insult to Irish history is not forgetting it—it’s reducing it to a drinking contest."

Should We Still Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

You may wonder: Should we cancel St. Patrick’s Day altogether? Not necessarily. However, we should rethink how we celebrate it.

Instead of using the day as an excuse for drunken debauchery, why not honor real Irish culture? Learn about Irish history. Read the poetry of W.B. Yeats. Listen to traditional Irish music. Support Irish businesses. Seek to understand the actual struggles of the Irish, both past and present.

Most importantly, let’s stop perpetuating outdated, offensive stereotypes that have long defined this holiday.

And if you still wish to party? That’s fine. Just don’t pretend that chugging cheap whiskey while wearing a leprechaun hat makes you "honorary Irish."

Final Thoughts

St. Patrick’s Day has become stripped of its meaning. It has transformed from a solemn commemoration into a corporate-fueled joke. It mocks the very people it claims to celebrate.

If you truly care about Ireland and its history, do better.

Because let’s be honest—if someone turned a party celebrating your ancestors into a depiction of drunk, bumbling cartoons, you’d be furious too.

What do you think? Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, or do you avoid it? Drop a comment below!