St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Ireland is not here it is in Ireland. But being in New York today one would think this is Ireland.
Every year on the third Saturday in September, German-Americans celebrate the Annual Steuben Day Parade. This celebration is for some German baron who fought on the side of George Washington.
Puerto Rican Day Parade takes place on the second Sunday in June, in honor of all Puerto Ricans.
Greek Independence Day Parade takes place on April 18, 2010 and it celebrates the independence of Greece. It commemorates the events of 1821 when they overcame the 400-year oppression of the Ottoman empire and the new Greece was born.
Salute to Israel Parade is the largest event in the world celebrating the anniversary of Israel's Independence. It is Being held this year on May 23.
All these parades and many more are being held on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. They celebrate the particular nationalities with marches, floats, bands and other stuff.
Typical to New York these have to be Irisher than in Ireland, Germaner than in Germany, more Greek than in Greece and more Puerto Rican than in Puerto Rico. Oh, and more Israeli than in Israel.
I always thought that Texas was the home of oversized. I heard that over there the small was big, the near was pretty far and the large was humongous.
But one has to be in New York to witness these events to be convinced of that if it happens in New York it is really big.
Take today for instance. In Midtown all the streets are closed to vehicular traffic because of this parade. Today supposed to be a regular working day. What about all those people participating? What about their jobs? Shouldn't they be at work?
In Ireland it is a national holiday but that's where the Irish are. That's their home, not here. If they are so craving for the homeland why don't they go home?
This applies to all who want to celebrate their national holidays here in this country.
I have no problem observing these days but all nationalities should do it in their neighborhoods and not in the heart of the City, thereby forcing uninterested people to endure hours of restrictions.
New York is an ethnic melting pot. All nationalities come together and live in a kind of harmony. Most nationalities have their own neighborhoods where their businesses, their restaurants are concentrated. National observances should be held in those places without infringing on other people's lives.
In addition to the parades there is always wild drinking going on after the marches. Things got so bad that years ago the police confiscated drinks from young people coming in by trains from New Jersey.
The Upper East Side was always infamous for crowds of drunk uniformed policemen and firemen. Bars and taverns had crowds outside on the streets drinking and making everybody in the area totally miserable.
Why does a holiday gives carte blanche for drinking? The Irish in Ireland don't do this. They drink but they don't make a nuisance of themselves. But in New York they have to overdo this too.
How can the authorities enforce order when they are just as guilty as the rest since they drink more than anybody.
It seems that we celebrate national holidays of other countries with more gusto than we celebrate our own.
This takes me back to what I said earlier. If they feel closer to their homelands -wherever that may be- then why don't they go home and live there?
But if they chose to stay here than start to act like this is their homeland and this is where they belong.
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