I have always been a fan of St. Patrickâs Day. My grandmother was Irish, so that lifeline has been clung to throughout my existence. Robbie Keane jerseys, Baileyâs whenever possible, a relatively fake taste for the ever-poorly travelling Guinness whenever the folks were looking the other way, and a miserable affected accent were staples of my childhood. You have to be proud of all your roots.
It never bothered me that I wasnât full-blooded and pale-as-a-Protestant-in-a-Catholic-church Irish. Despite looking undeniably more like my Asian half in those developing years, Iâd proudly take to school, the pitch, and friendsâ decked out in a green ensemble that would put even the keenest of St. Pattyâs Day partiers to shame.
Similarly, though one could make the argument that I was simply looking for support of my thin Eire connection, it didnât trouble me whatsoever when I saw classmates donning like-coloured garb. It didnât matter if they were of Irish descent or not. It didnât matter if they had no idea what Gaelic was. It didnât matter if the only time they ever acknowledged the Emerald Isleâs existence was on March 17. I was happy to see others celebrating. Taking part. Making the occasion as joyful as possible. Children see the world best sometimes.
Itâs something I have carried with me to this day. I sigh whenever I hear people complaining of how everyone taking part in St. Patrickâs Day is cultural appropriation. Itâs a celebration. The last thought that should be going through anyoneâs mind when thinking of a celebration is excluding someoneâbecause thatâs essentially whatâs happening if the cultural-appropriation horn is blown loudly and soundly for all to hear. Itâs saying that itâs not okay for certain parts of the population to participate. And not only shouldnât they be involved, but itâs offensive if they do. I havenât found a truly well-meaning cause that honestly trumpets such a notion.
Of course this does not apply solely to the Irish bash. Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, etc. Am I a Christian? Nope. Do I say, âMerry Christmas,â to others I know not to be Christian? Absolutely. Do I gladly hop into any of these holidays given the chance? For sure.
Look at these festivities like those themed days in school: crazy hair day, pajama day, etc. Do you have to partake in the fun? No, but the only person youâre shorting if you choose not to is yourself.
The world is a strange place. Many issues are swept under the carpet and mindlessly played off as nothing issues; however, in an attempt to shine a light on matters of significance, oversensitivity has emerged. Make no doubt about it, cultural appropriation does exist, but we neednât make a concerted effort to find it in all things. Mountains out of molehills. Use your own head when forming opinions. Do some research. See how you actually feel. The popular opinion isnât always correct, and if we decide to throw our weight behind thoughts we havenât legitimately devoted time to, the end result often does more harm than good.
Danke danke,
Eric Wilkins
