The St. Patrick's Day Season (post #1)

I remember when St. Patrick's Day was only expected to last one day, but the good folks at Guinness have come up w/ a fantastic marketing plan. By talking about the "season" for weeks before St. Patrick's Day, it causes a nice little St. Patrick's Day buzz... as does the stout itself. Of course, I've been celebrating the St. Patrick's Day season for a little longer... like 12 years longer. I guess we're supposed to start getting green right after St. Valentine's Day, but fuck that. The season should start on New Years Day. We can party New years Eve and then wake up and get ready for the next great holiday. Of course there would have to be a 7 day respite at the end of January for Burn's Night, but the traditions are pretty similar: drunken good times. I've never really needed an excuse to drink Jameson or a nice Irish stout, but I guess some people do. I can't imagine I'll be buying Guinness, but I suppose a lot of you will. I've always preferred Murphy's and Beamish. They have a fuller, more complex taste, but they lack the advertising push that Guinness has. It has always seemed to me very similar to Glenlivet: people assume it's great because it's what they hear about, but they could get much better stuff in the same price range if they just looked around. Speaking of getting great beverages this St. Patrick's Day season, don't forget to grab yourself a Shamrock Shake. All that fake minty goodness in a triple thick D-Dogs shake. I hesitate to call it a "milkshake" because I highly doubt there is any dairy product in it, but that won't stop me from drinking a few. Here's a little wiki-info about the Shamrock Shake. You never know what you'll learn on Wikipedia. For instance, I just copied this little bit of D-Dogs folklore for you about the little know milkshake creature, Uncle O'Grimacey:

Uncle O'Grimacey is a character of the fictional McDonaldland, created for an advertising narrative of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain both in celebration of St. Patrick's Day and to mark the annual appearance of the Shamrock Shake. O'Grimacey is the Irish uncle of the character Grimace and is a variant of the Grimace-design in that he is green instead of purple, sports a frock coat covered with several four-leaf clovers, and carries a shillelagh. His design motif is not unlike that of a stereotypical depiction of the Irish folkloric Leprechaun, similar to the mascot of the football team for University of Notre Dame. O'Grimacey resides in his home country for eleven months of the year and visits his nephew Grimace in March, bringing with him his "incredibly delicious" shake. A popular character used annually by the restaurant in the 1980s, Uncle O'Grimacey is no longer used by the chain for its promotions of the shake. However, despite a long absence, McDonald's has brought its annual dessert back in some cities.

To further enjoy your St. Patrick's Day season, you can go to these sites and learn about the history and traditions. Apparently, it's not just about drinking. It seems there is some religious significance as well. Of course, being a drunkard is my religion, so I guess it all works out.

Traditions

Another Tradition Site