Ah, St. Patrick’s Day… The greenest day of the year, and for university students, one of the most widely anticipated holidays. I knew for a while that I needed to do a post prior to the big day, but I’ve been struggling to figure out what exactly to write about. My initial thought was to write about all the calories that are in different types of drinks, and then try and provide some lower-calorie options for people to drink on St. Patrick’s Day. You know, try and promote “healthier” ways to enjoy partying.
But let’s be honest. Considering a majority of the people that read this blog are my friends (aka college and university students), I think it’s safe to say that most of them wouldn’t even bother reading a post like that. I could preach about “drinking in moderation” until I turn blue in the face and it wouldn’t make a difference. St.Patrick’s Day is pretty much an excuse to party and drink, whether you’re actually Irish or not. While I find this especially true for students, I do know some families as well that take the holiday just as seriously (those of you familar with my boyfriend and his family will understand).
So… for today, I am going to refrain from my usual approach to blogging and instead take a little trip down memory lane. For those of you hoping to read some healthy tips, I truly am sorry. However, there is a healthy recipe included at the bottom of this post if you just want to skip down to the end. :)
Green Nostalgia
When I went to Laurier, St.Patrick’s Day was magical. The entire city of Waterloo (or at least the immediate area surrounding our school) would be blanketed in a sea of green and drunken giddiness, and it didn’t matter what the weather was like. Some years the weather would be mild and fantastic, and others there would still be snow and mud on the ground. But did that stop us? Of course not. We’re Goldenhawks. We don’t wear our purple and gold ”Rawk Out With Your Hawk Out” t-shirts because they keep us ‘warm’. St.Patty’s Day is like a second Christmas to us. Seriously. You know how when you were little you would be up at the crack of dawn, anxious to run down the stairs and dive into the mountain of gifts Santa had brought you? Well for us it was something similar to that, except we would be up at the crack of 9am eager to indulge in green pancakes and “breakfast keggers”. Of course, you would have to get decked out in all your St.Patty’s Day gear before hittin’ the streets (see photo below). I like to think that the picture featured above is the Official Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day Uniform for all female Laurier students.
My friends and I enjoying some mid-afternoon “socializing” :)
Anyways, after the breakfast kegger we would usually walk around either to look for another party or just to wander around soaking up the school spirit and energy that was everywhere you went. You may remember a CTV news reporter describing it as “pandemonium”. Did most students that day partake in an unhealty amount of binge drinking? Well, perhaps just click the link to the CTV video clip and that should answer the question for you… I have to say though, the school spirit that was present on that day each year was incredible. It was that sense of community that immediately made me decide I wanted to go to Laurier. Sure, I may have partied a little too hard once in a while, but what university student doesn’t? At the end of the day, the memories I have from that school and the friends I met along the way are the things that provide true enrichment and balance to my life.
If you’re in the midst of figuring out your plans for St.Patty’s Day, I stumbled upon a healthy recipe for green pancakes, courtesy of Cravings Gone Clean. These would be an excellent [healthy] start to the greenest day of the year! No matter what you decide to do tomorrow, drinking or no drinking, be safe and have fun :) I know I always enjoy being Irish for the day!
Cheers!
