Ever heard of a Hibernophile?
No, it’s not some sort of kinky obsession, it’s someone who has a love of Ireland and/or Irish culture. Now that March is here it’s time once again for people to (re)connect with their Irish roots …no matter how far of an ancestral stretch it actually may be. The hibernophile, who professes his love of all things Irish, should be leading the way this St Patrick’s Day but sometimes, even the most enthusiastic among us actually miss a few things.
At Happy Hour, you might hear: “My great-great-great GranPappy Michael came over from Ireland” then that same person will go on Twitter and post: “Can’t wait until Patty’s day! #Guinness”.
#SMH indeed.
www.PaddysnotPatty.com is fighting the good fight to abolish this once and for all. Given the frequency though of these exuberant errors, albeit innocent, I thought it might be helpful to bring these hibernophiles into the huddle and share a few “all-Ireland” fun facts. Our goal is to minimize the ‘what a muppet’ responses …because we’re all about the passion and craic here at Fadó!
Here’s a list of important “must-know” St. Patrick’s Day facts:
#1 – Legend has it that the Patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland over 1,000 years ago …snakes being a euphemism for heretics of course. There were never any actual snakes in Ireland, although there are some there now and it’s totally weird.
#2 – Corned-beef and cabbage is not a traditional Irish dish. It’s actually Irish-American and came about as a result of available meats to the working class immigrants back in the 1800s. It’s a story as rich and fascinating as any in food history. An even better story (IMHO) is that our corned beef, sourced from our own butcher, is made according to our unique specifications …and I swear by it.
#3 – The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737 …and likely the best excuse ever devised to rationalize day drinking.
#4 – The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Ireland wasn’t until 1903, when it became an official public holiday. Banks, stores and schools are closed for the Feast Day, a religious Holiday celebrated with family and close friends.
#5 – The pubs in Ireland were actually closed for a time on St. Patrick’s Day (gasp!) because drinking got out of hand. That nonsense ended in the 1970s and things eventually got back to normal.
#6 – Legend has it St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity by showing a non-believer the three-leafed plant with one stalk. When we reference the Holy Trinity at the pub, we’re talking about Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick’s (pronounced “Smiddicks”)
#7 – “Muppet” – Irish slang for a person who is ignorant and generally has no idea about anything.
“No, I don’t wanna green beer on Paddy’s Day, ya muppet”
Ever heard the saying, “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day”? Well it’s true.
We’ve got a lot of celebrating to do and everyone is welcome at Fadó. So, go forth now ~ lovers of all things Irish ~ entertain, enlighten and at the very least, score some serious points at the Paddy’s Day Pub Quiz coming up!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instagram Contest! Now thru March 17!
Follow us @fadoirishpub and tag #Fado2015 for a chance to win cool prizes and tickets weekly as well as $500 in Fadó bucks!
