HUMAN GEOGRAPHIC

St.PatricksDay:CommodificationandAuthenticity
ByMarnieOBoyle

StPatricksDayisoriginallyanIrishCatholicholiday.ItisafeastdayforSt.Patrick,whowascredited withbringingChristianitytoIreland.HewasbelievedtohavediedonMarch17,461A.D.andthe holidayiscelebratedontheanniversaryofhisdeath.Traditionally,familieswouldattendmassinthe morning,andthengoouttocelebrateintheafternoon.Itwasadayforprayerandspiritualrenewal. AsIrishmigrantsmovedaroundtheworld,theybroughtwiththemtheirtraditions,includingSt. PatricksDay.Bycelebratingthisholiday,IrishimmigrantsandpeopleofIrishancestryareableto celebratetheirroots,andcometogetherwithfellowIrishmen,celebrationsnotbeingmuchdifferentfrom howtheywereoriginallyinIreland. AsthesecelebrationsbecomepopularamongIrishinothercountries,otherpeopleinthosecountries begantopickuponthem.PeoplewithnoIrishancestryatallhavebeguntoobservethisholiday.They hostcelebrations,suchasSt.PatricksDayparades,andconsideritachancetobeIrishforaday. Astheholidayhasbecomepopular,ithasbecomemoreandmorestereotypicalanddeviatedfromthe traditions.DespitebeingareligiousholidayinIreland,peopleincountriessuchasAmerica,seeitasa timetogetdrunk,astereotypicalaspectoftheIrish.TheyalsoassociateitwithstereotypessuchasIrish peoplebeingleprechauns,andwearingclothessuchaskilts. Alongwiththepeoplecelebratingtheholiday,ithasalsobeenpickedupasacommodity.Companies produceitemssuchasleprechaunhatsandanyitemimaginablecoveredinshamrocks.Restaurantswill

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sellIrishalcoholandfood,andIrishfolkmusicisplayedeverywhere.Anychancetousetheholidayfor profitistaken,nomatterhowfarfetchedorstereotypical. Thiscanleadonetoquestiontheauthenticityofthecelebrations,andwonderjusthowmuchithasbeen commodified.WhencomparingthetraditionalcelebrationsinIreland,tohowtheyusuallyareinother placesaroundtheworld,therearealotofdifferences.Ratherthanthetraditionaldayofreligious celebration,itisseenasatimetoplayupstereotypeslikeconstantdrunkenness.Andwhenlookingat theproductssoldaroundthistime,itisquiteobviouscompanieseverywhereusetheholidayasan excusetorakeinprofit. Thewaytheholidayisseeninpopularcultureismuchdifferentfromhowitwasoriginally.Ithasbeen commodifiedgreatly,alteredtofitstereotypes,andnotverysimilartothetraditionalcelebrationsand intentionsoftheholiday.

MarnieOBoyle Ybarra4

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WorksCited
http://www.stpatricksday.com/about_saintpatrick.html http://www.history.com/topics/stpatricksday http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/st_patricks_day.htm http://people.howstuffworks.com/culturetraditions/holidays/saintpatrick.htm