Happy St. Patrick’s Day and top o’ the morning to you!
You may know that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday. St. Patrick was raised a Christian in Britain. For a quick history lesson, one story goes that he was captured by Irish raiders, taken to Ireland where he was held captive for six years and became a devout Christian. After hearing a voice from god to leave Ireland, he escaped, returning to Britain only to hear a message from angels to return to Ireland. He became a priest and returned to Ireland, where he planned to convert the Irish people but instead incorporated Irish ritual into his lessons of Christianity.
As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Grammarnatrix has seen signs all over Concord. Some say “Happy St. Paddy’s Day, while others say “Happy St. Patty’s Day.” So which is it?
According to the Provisional Government of Paddy, not Patty, the Ds in Paddy come from the Irish word padraig, thus the double Ds, and is the “manly” way of saying it. St. Patty’s comes from Patricia, or could be a burger, and is not manly at all. The Irishmen don’t feel kindly about people changing their name, and as it says in the Provisional, calling it St. Patty’s Day “gnaws at them. It riles them up. It makes them want to fight. . . you know, more than usual.”
So, if your sign says Happy St. Patty’s Day, don’t expect a lot of Irishmen to frequent your establishment. Get it right! Acknowledge the Paddy in all of them!
If you want to read the Provisional and be scolded in a fitting Irish fashion, go to paddynotpatty.com.
