St Patrick's Day?

Why does the entire world go bonkers for St Patrick's day? Although, having been so caught up in the red tide that was the Welsh 6nations campaign, I barely noticed its arrival this year.

In fact, I only became aware of it being St Patrick's day as I walked to work and passed 'The Toucan' on Wimpole Street. It's a classic Guinness pub, its mascot being the Guinness toucan from the old advertising. I walked passed and it had inflatable green hats and inflatable giant pints of Guinness dangling from the awning. I thought 'is someone having a birthday or something?' before realising that, of course, it was the day that people use as an excuse to get drunk in the name of a man no one knows anything about.

Well, I know a thing or two. St Patrick was a Welshman, you know. Also, this year March 17th was not St Patrick's day as the Pope disallowed it to happen in the same week as Good Friday. So the official Catholic stance was that it was to be celebrated on Saturday the 15th March. But clearly everyone was too busy enjoying Wales being awesome at rugby, and the Irish were down and out after a shabby performance at Twickenham. So poor old St Paddy has not had a great 2008. Was there a parade or something? Who cares?

My best St Patrick's day was a rather illicit one. I scived off school, aged 15, to meet some friends in the pub. I had about four pints of Guinness and was in bed by about 6pm. I remember it was a glorious day and I had a lovely sleep.