(*Apologies for this post being a day late - was busy with the Englishman's return yesterday!)
The St. Patrick's Day Parade
My earliest recollections of St. Patrick's Day were of a dinner consisting of corned beef, cabbage, and mashed potatoes, wearing green ribbons in my hair and watching the St. Patrick's Day Parade on channel 11, WPIX. The parade was hosted, it seemed like forever, by Jack McCarthy, who I knew from watching the children's television program, "Cap'n Jack and Popeye." With a bit of a brogue in his voice that day, he would educate loyal viewers with vast amounts of information about the Irish.
My mother would often gather us in the kitchen to watch. As each County flag would arrive, such as the one pictured above, she would announce things like, "Ah, that's where Uncle Hughie was from." or "County Louth, that was where my mother and her family came from." Then the pipe bands would play and my mother's feet would start a tapping.
As I've mentioned in a previous March 17th post, my mother took my three daughters for Irish step dancing lessons when they were young. The girls quite enjoyed these outings. I joined them a couple of times to attend an Irish céilí dance, which is similar to square dancing in this country. We had a wonderful time, once we got the hang of it.
Recently, much of the cast of Downton Abbey could be seen twirling round and round dancing the Scottish Highland on the season finale. That got me to thinking about the fact that nearly every culture has some form of communal dance. I sincerely hope that these dances are being passed down to the next generations. How sad it would be for them to be lost and forgotten.
Having said that, I just now realize that in a sense the torch has been passed and it will be my responsibility to in turn take my little granddaughters for Irish step dancing lessons. Both girls have already shown a great love of twirling and moving to music. At the rate they are growing, perhaps I should start searching for a teacher now.
My mother would often gather us in the kitchen to watch. As each County flag would arrive, such as the one pictured above, she would announce things like, "Ah, that's where Uncle Hughie was from." or "County Louth, that was where my mother and her family came from." Then the pipe bands would play and my mother's feet would start a tapping.
As I've mentioned in a previous March 17th post, my mother took my three daughters for Irish step dancing lessons when they were young. The girls quite enjoyed these outings. I joined them a couple of times to attend an Irish céilí dance, which is similar to square dancing in this country. We had a wonderful time, once we got the hang of it.
Recently, much of the cast of Downton Abbey could be seen twirling round and round dancing the Scottish Highland on the season finale. That got me to thinking about the fact that nearly every culture has some form of communal dance. I sincerely hope that these dances are being passed down to the next generations. How sad it would be for them to be lost and forgotten.
Having said that, I just now realize that in a sense the torch has been passed and it will be my responsibility to in turn take my little granddaughters for Irish step dancing lessons. Both girls have already shown a great love of twirling and moving to music. At the rate they are growing, perhaps I should start searching for a teacher now.
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