Drinking

On Sunday, driving from the place where we dropped off Paul, over to our friends' house, we took the scenic route through the Kettle-Moraine country, past ponds and farms, and through small villages. As we approached one village, we assumed somebody was having a party. But the number of cars parked along the street didn't diminish as we continued further into town; it increased. Cars parked up and down every street, and solidly lining every road into town.

Then we saw the people dressed in green. And people wearing green antennae. And then we caught sight of the county highway packed with people. Not knowing if the road was blocked, and unable to see around the corner due to all the crowds, Gary was trying to get someone to tell him if the road was passable. Finally, a sober man, not dressed in green, who was apparently there for crowd-control, told him that technically the road was not closed, but if he drove down it, to go slowly and watch out for all the drunkards who would stumble right into the path of the car.

We made it through. But we sure did see what the sober man was talking about!

Maggie asked why people would celebrate St Patrick's Day by getting drunk. That's not the easiest thing to explain. But Gary said it was the reason the bishop Patrick wanted to bring Jesus to the people of Ireland, to save them from their sins.

I bind this day to me forever,
by power of faith, Christ's incarnation,
His baptism in the Jordan River,
His cross of death for my salvation,
His bursting from the spiced tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom,
I bind unto myself today.

Against the demon snares of sin,
the vice that gives temptation force,
the natural lusts that war within,
the hostile foes that mar my course,
or few or many, far or nigh,
in every place and in all hours,
against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.