San Francisco’s St. Patrick’s Day
It all started when St. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and sold into slavery… thus the inauspicious beginning of a young man’s transformation into a saint and the beginning of St. Patrick’s Day.
If you are religious and planned to go to church and not the nearest pub, don’t seek out a mass in honor of the saint on March 17th. St. Patrick’s Day will not be celebrated on March 17, 2008 this year.
“For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick’s Day will fall during Holy Week, the sacred seven days preceding Easter.
Because of the overlap, liturgical rules dictate that no Mass in honor of the saint can be celebrated on Monday, March 17, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.” says Meghan Barr, Associated Press.
Don’t worry, the descendants of the San Francisco Irish and the bar owners won’t let a little thing like a decree from the pope dissuade them from celebrating this mysterious saint’s day all weekend long.
San Francisco has been suffused with a Irish heritage of hundreds of years, the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center states, “the first contingent came in the late seventh or early eighteenth century … by 1870, one in every third person in San Francisco was Irish.” This rich cultural heritage has taken hold of the city, a decent Irish pub or two can be found in nearly every neighborhood (don’t ask me how I know) and the city boasts the oldest parade west of the Mississippi.
The 156th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on Saturday, March 15, 2008 starting at 11:30 a.m. It features all things Irish. Bagpipers, a marching band and a myriad of Irish dance schools will be performing for onlookers. For dog lovers, the highlight will be the four footed parade marchers from the Irish Wolfhound Rescue Trust group. After the parade, you can prolong the celebration at the Civic Center with face painting for kids, top Irish performers on the stage with foot stomping music and a bit of brew served alongside.
AOL’s’s CityGuide for San Francisco has a nice round-up for St. Patrick’s Day including a list of the top ten Irish bars. The list is “spot on.” I speak from experience, I have been in all of them. The Irish Bank Bar description is apt. On St. Patrick’s Day it is the central location for a big block party. Plan on standing in long lines for beer with a bunch of financial district types. For more authenticity, go to the Richmond district to the Plough & Stars or the Abbey Tavern. I have heard tales that some of the bars in the neighborhood even support the IRA. I like this area of the city best because you can walk from place to place, many of the city’s Irish still live here, and there are many other watering holes along the way, if the Irish themed places are too crowded.
Turn Fog City into the Emerald City this year. Have a pint, dance a jig and celebrate this almost international holiday anytime this weekend.
Related Sources:
History of St. Patrick’s Day–
GoSanfrancisco–more information about St. Patrick’s day
Sam’s Spade San Francisco-all the information you need on the parade
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2 Responses
Please phone me the next time you need someone to tag along for “pub research.”
Thanks for the history – I learned some new tidbits about St. Patrick’s Day! I’m really curious as to why Easter is so early this year though – you would think with it being a Leap Year there would be more distance between the two holidays, not less! And I’m with Marsha, I’d love to tag along for “pub research” too.
Paige AKA PJsTravelinTexas