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| Celtic Radio Community > United States of America > American/celtic Traditions |
| Posted by: Ceciliastar1 28-Jun-2004, 01:56 PM |
| I thought this forum was a little dead so I am trying to make it interesting again. So my familiy isn't very traditional. But one of my most favorite celtic traditions we do here in good old USA, is Chicago's St. Patrick's Day parade. It is so much fun. THey dye the river green, and there's a huge parade and dancing and singing. Everyone is Irish in Chicago...even the Mexicans! hahah!! It's sooo much fun! |
| Posted by: Madadh 29-Jun-2004, 04:01 AM |
| I walk in the Baltimore ans Washington St. Padrig's parade as well. Mostly in kilt with wolfhounds. |
| Posted by: Camchak 29-Jun-2004, 05:25 AM |
| We have a local restaurant (Hal & Mal's) that sponsors the St. Patties Day events. One event is the "Sweet potato Queen" contest. All the contestants wear a shinny green dress and a red wig with sunglasses. The city closes about 6 blocks downtown for this party. |
| Posted by: Ceciliastar1 29-Jun-2004, 12:14 PM |
| In Indiana, where I am from, my highschool has another tradition. We all (boys and girls) have to wear something green on St. Patrick's Day. My old highschool has uniforms with green in them so they don't count. If you aren't wearing anything green then you get pinched and if you are trying to get away with it by using you uniform as your green you get "dead arm" or "dead leg" (aka you're punched really hard in the arm or leg and lose feeling for a moment)...ah highschool... |
| Posted by: Madadh 30-Jun-2004, 04:00 AM |
Green was the thing in my high school as well. One year we had an English exchange student and he wore a bright Orange three piece suit on St. Pats day. He made it out of school alive that day only because our Polish Vice Principle both pitied and protected him.  |
| Posted by: Ceciliastar1 30-Jun-2004, 12:13 PM |
| That's awesome! My highschool was predominately Catholic, but we had a protestant teacher and he would wear orange just to tick us off (all in good fun) and we couldn't do anything about it. It was so funny.  |
| Posted by: dragonboy3611 08-Nov-2004, 05:55 PM |
I love St. Pattys day....*sigh* all the green    |
| Posted by: susieq76 09-Nov-2004, 08:20 AM |
| Does listening to Celtic Radio count? *blushes* |
| Posted by: celtic from cali 10-Nov-2004, 09:33 PM |
| I have some that I try to keep going or should I say bring back. At my wedding this past June I had a bag pipe player because my husband is scottish and we had our wedding invitations printed in Ireland (I'm majority Irish descent). We had our family crests researched and put on the scrolls - those were the invites. Very traditional and medieval. They were sent out in the tube casing with our family name mottos as well. People loved it! My wedding flowers were country type - I told the florist - If you were skipping through Scotland or Ireland and you came across fields of Wild flowers what kind would they be, how would they look? It was gorgeous! On Saint Patty's Day I always have a get together or party and people don't really turn out - it's not me they are just weak on the tradition. My thanksgiving menu has traditional Irish recipes that I'm including just to expose the rest of the uninformed family. An interesting point - when your blood is truly celtic you don't have to try, it comes out in your DNA. This may sound corny but I beleive it is because of our ancestory - My whole family's favorite food is potatoes, bread and cheese. We could and have lived off of it. It doesn't matter how their prepared! We eat and eat and eat the potatoes, like it's our life source! I live in a desert region and I tell you I long for the green hills and grass, I'm happier in the rainy climate and nothing soothes my ear like the bagpipes or any celtic music. It is in my legs to jig! To top it off there are more redheaded pasty skinned people in my family then any thing else (blondes then some Browns). You can tell what you descend from in more ways then culture, your taste buds know what they've eaten for centuries!hahahah |
| Posted by: floralia 22-Nov-2004, 09:37 AM |
| Here in Austin we love our celtic roots whether it's expressed in attending our annual Celtic Festival or consuming Guinness all year around. (Austin boasts of the 2nd largest consumption of Guinness per capita in the US.) I agree with Celtic from Cali in that you don't have to try, it comes out in your DNA. The Irish flute has always spoke a private love murmur to my heart although I was well into my 20s before I realized what was occuring. Don't even get me started on the bagpipes - you either love 'em or hate 'em and I absolutely adore them. I observe more of the tradtions than my Anam Cara who is a hell of a lot more Irish and Scottish from both sides of his family than I am but I still can win an argument or two... although he'd wither away if potatoes disappeared from our food supply. It has occured to me just now that the majority of my posts here at Celtic Radio have mentioned Guinness. Hmmmm... what does that mean? |
| Posted by: Rindy1202 26-Nov-2004, 12:29 PM |
| Here in Wyoming, we celebrate St. Pats day. I am from Irish background also and we do the cornned beef, the colcannon music beer all of it. I have celtic things all over by house. In the town I live in they serve the green beer. Anyhow I love St. Pats Day. Oh yes I can play the spoons also. |
| Posted by: BDougher 19-Jun-2005, 05:16 PM |
| It means that you have to buy the first round. Brian |
| Posted by: Emmet 20-Jun-2005, 12:06 PM |
| Let's see... Personal: Hogmanay; we make it a point to be debt free (excluding mortgage & car loans) on January 1st. Personally, I'm a big fan of firing off blackpowder weapons too, but alas, the County Sherriff doesn't agree with me. First footing would be grand if we lived a bit closer together. Working hard (at least, when there's work to be found), and spending wisely. If a stranger buys a round, not getting up from the table until you've returned the favor. I don't recall ever having taken a vow of poverty, but somehow we seem to be living that tradition, too. Commitment to kith & kin. Paying the piper (Slainte!). Communal (Dunedin, FL): Annual St Andrew's Dinners. Annual Burn's Night. Annual Celtic Festival. Annual Highland Games (this year's our 40th). Annual Highland Games at ZephyrHills, Sarasota, & Orlando. Annual Tartan Day. Annual Whisky tasting. Annual Tattoo. Annual St. Patrick's Day street party on Main Street. Annual Kirkin' of the Tartans at many local Presbyterian churches. Concerts by city sponsored pipe band (City of Dunedin Pipes & Drums). Remembrance Day. Ceileighs & kilt nights at the pub(s). Haggis, bridies, meat pies, colcannon, champ, potato bread, lamb stew. I love corned beef and cabbage too, but that's a non sequitur; it's unheard of in Ireland. Everyone knows that God always intended for beer to be black. |
| Posted by: Dalriada Dancer 20-Jun-2005, 07:37 PM |
 We always "pay" the piper when we dance. There's always a toast to the Flowers of the Forest. Auld Lang Syne sung at each ceilidh and kitchen party. |
| Posted by: Emmet 21-Jun-2005, 03:36 AM |
| "In Highland Dance, our tradition is to dance widdershins around the swords..." When piping a formal dinner or dining in, it's traditional to first go widdershins around the room, then deosil. Has to do with heraldry; you want to offer the obverse of a pipe banner with the primary crest first. I always appreciate it when people shut up, stand up, and recognize and honor "Flowers" as so much more than just another tune...I wish more did. |
| Posted by: Dalriada Dancer 21-Jun-2005, 12:54 PM |
| I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here the only tunes our community stands up, shuts up for is O Canada, and the Hockey Night in Canada Song (silent tear sliding down cheek - sign the damn contracts!) |
| Posted by: Emmet 21-Jun-2005, 02:20 PM |
| Here it's half and half (at least, from October through May); one half stands for "Maple Leaf Forever" ("Oh Canada" doesn't work on the pipes), and the other half stands for "America the Beautiful" ("The Star Spangled Banner" doesn't work either). We always play both. The most popular specialty license plate in Florida is the white one with blue lettering, from Ontario county. |
| Posted by: Keltic 21-Jun-2005, 05:58 PM | ||
In Canada, it is a known fact that if Quebec ever separates, they are taking Florida with them. |
| Posted by: TetonAndDistrictPerformingArts 08-Oct-2015, 12:50 AM |
My family plays music together in our performing arts group; my wife and oldest daughter are vocalists, my son is a piper and drummer, my daughter (next) is a Highland Dancer and tenor drummer, and my littlest one has just started Irish Step.  |