There is a reason I feel so strongly about this. Many people claim to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day so they can have an excuse to get drunk and act silly. All this is doing is continuing a stereotype that people created segregating the Irish when they arrived in America. Irish immigrants were barred from many public places, had difficulty getting jobs and were treated with less respect than most people would treat animals. They received a reputation for being drunkards and were victimized by such negative stereotyping for years. To this day, we continue the cliche with people dressing in green and going to bars to get drunk because "they are Irish for the day." Many are the same type of people who would never repeat a Polish joke, aren't racist and would deride anyone else who openly was.
If you really want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day like an Irishman, go to Mass in the morning. Spend the rest of the day with your family and friends. Enjoy real Irish food. Finally, retire for the night contented that you had a good day. Otherwise, mindfully consider why you are celebrating. The world is full of enough hatred and prejudice.
