My husband LOVES St. Patrick's Day. It's one of his favorite holidays all year long. While I understand that the origin of St.Patrick's day is the death of a member of the Catholic church, nowadays, the entire country of Ireland has embraced it as a sort of National day of Irish pride, and with that in mind, I don't have any issues celebrating it.
This year Purim and St. Patrick's Day are butting heads into each other. While I don't think that our Sunday night Purim will change much, with St. Patty's being on Monday night that really means most of our friends will celebrate over the weekend. To me, this smash-up makes a LOT of sense...
Mitzvah's of Purim:
1. Hear the megillah- this seems perfectly lovely and in no way contradicts any St.Patty's party. Typically they read it very fast, and shouting/spinning groggers, etc. are all encouraged activities.
2. Give to the poor- this is a wonderful thing any day of the year, but it sort of goes hand in hand with St.Patty's. A day of good cheer for everyone. Tradition dictates that you should give to two different poor people, so pour some drinks and drop some dollars.
3. Eating a festive meal- do I really even need to explain that? This should include wine/libations, meat, and be a warm meal. I think that Corned beef and cabbage definitely fits the bill. And traditionally made Corned beef can easily be made kosher without a thought.
Traditions of Purim:
1. Dressing costume- have you seen people around St. Patty's? The crazy green, leprechauns, etc. Works perfectly to throw in an Esther, a Mordichai or a Hamen...
2. Drinking- need I say more?
3. Hamentaschen- okay, these are delicious butter cookies. And though cooking and drinking aren't advised, after drinking a pint I think a nice delicious chocolate cookie is something wonderful. Yummy!
So, enjoy this co-mingling of the holidays. Throw some green dye at your Hamentaschen, throw some beer in with your brisket, and enjoy all that March drinking has to offer.
Israel's take on St.Purim's day...
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