Today is St. Patrick’s day. I have Irish ancestry (as well as French and German), but my cultural upbringing has been Working Class White American* Consumer. So what does that mean for me today?
First, let me offer you this list of Irish authors to read: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/irish-authors
Now let me wax contemplative:
Given that I have not participated in or promoted Irish politics, culture or progress, I have not learned Gaelic or Irish step dancing or Irish cooking or anything else decidedly Irish, I’d feel like a bit of a fraud “celebrating” my Irish ancestry today. Yet, it makes me wonder, as holidays frequently do, what are MY cultural traditions and heritage as an American?
Traditions are meant to give us a sense of belonging, of kinship, of continuity in a constantly changing world. They give us something to look forward to, and shining moments to remember.
But in America, land of independence, of life in the fast lane and disposable instant trends, where our home-grown holidays are just a chance to have a day off and usually to party, what traditions long survive the American nuclear family as it grows and splits into individual units? What are the deeper cultural values and traditions we share?
