Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. It's a given. St. Patrick's Day is the day to watch the dancers do Irish jigs in the parade while the Irish musicians play. The parade watchers who've already started indulging in green beer may do their own jigs on the sidewalks. The crowds sport green garments from the olive trousers to the chartreuse sweaters. There will be corned beef and cabbage for all.

Ireland was St. Patrick's adopted country, but he became its patron saint. He performed many miracles, not the least of which was getting rid of all the snakes. Truth be told, there may not have been any snakes to begin with, but the legend holds.

Fast forward to Cinco de Mayo, the day for everybody to be Mexican. Dancers in colorful clothes perform with mariachi bands. The beautiful skirts swish all over the place as dancers do steps that sometimes resemble Irish dancing, but with softer shoes. There are little imitation sombreros on a few heads in the audience. Enchiladas and refried beans are just a couple of the delicacies served.

September brings Oktoberfest, which lasts more than two weeks and carries into October. Everybody is German, especially in Cincinnati, which has the largest festival outside of Bavaria. What better place to spend those nice cool days after a long, hot summer than in a biergarten, feasting on sausage and sauerkraut while watching polka and Bavarian folk dancing and listening to the music?

Martin Luther King Day is rapidly becoming the day for everybody to be African, eating soul food and listening to jazz and rhythm and blues. Yes, Africa is a continent and not a country, but Dr. King represented all African-Americans.

Of course Independence Day and Thanksgiving are days when everybody is American. One of the most memorable fireworks displays I have attended was in Overland Park, Kansas, not far from the geographical center of the continental United States. As the people around me were enjoying the bright colors in the night sky, they commented on them in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Farsi and Russian. Some may have been visiting friends or family in the U.S., but on that day, everybody was American.

Some of the parts of these celebrations overlap traditions and cultures. All the better to share them with others. Maybe someday kilts and shorts with suspenders will catch on with American guys.