The Bigger Picture:I have always found St Patrick's Day in Ireland to be a day for enjoyment and pride in the Irish identity. There is a really nice lightness to the day. It doesn't bring with it heavy reminders of historic battles or great duties of a people. That's not what it's about. It's a day for fun.
It's not, as far as I have noticed, a specifically religious holiday. Although, I am very aware that its foundation is religious, celebrating the patron Saint Patrick and his teaching of Catholicism in Ireland. I suppose it is because it isn't specifically linked to events from the Bible that the day isn't focused on religious rituals.
It is a uniquely Irish holiday, and is much more about the identity of Irishness, and perhaps its relationship with religion, than anything to do with the religion itself.
I am interested in this relationship. There is an intimate connection between Irishness and Catholicism. By noticing this, I am not pretending that all Irish people are Catholic. (Indeed, I appreciate very well the diversity that is truly present within the Irish identity.) There is, however, a particular historic relationship between Catholicism and Irishness with the former being taken in as a specific identifier of the latter. Thus, all of us who make up this nation, whether raised members of the Catholic community or not, experience the impact of this relationship.
Even though there is a great connection between culture and religion in this country, the fact is that religion does not dictate culture as much as we think. It is culture that tends to have the upper hand. This is why relationships with and practices of the same religion differ (sometimes greatly) from place to place depending on the culture and history of that people.
We see this when we compare relationships with Catholicism between Italy and Ireland, for example. While we like to think a religion is a static, impermeable, imposing thing, it is influenced, changed and developed, at least in its practice, if not in its philosophies, by the people engaging with it.
This influence occurs most starkly when religion is assembled and regulated so that masses of people can participate in it. With the organisation of religion comes the institutionalisation of human struggles and distresses within it. We know the struggles are there. We see them, and they stand in conflict for us with the religion's deeper beliefs and teachings. And yet, they persist. A common example is in Catholicism in the images and position of women: as sinners or vessels for birthing the Lord, but not as part of the revolution or the knowledge themselves. (And, I'm not picking on Catholicism. I would be happy to use Hinduism as the example, but that isn't as relevant a discussion to St Patrick's Day or this nation.)
These ideas of women are more likely of human distress than divine illumination. First, there is strong evidence that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute. The Vatican acknowledged this in 1969. In fact, there is evidence to suggest she may have been Jesus's wife, and at least his greatest disciple, understanding his teachings better than others. We also see this in the void to consider that Mary, Mother of Jesus, might have been more than only a passive, albeit "pure", figure.
Indeed, at the very least she raised the revolutionary and so must have had some spunk. She must have taught him something. (I think the UN gender development campaign would support that.)
So, human distress influences religion. And, it is difficult for us, as individuals, to challenge this distress because religion seems so monumental, and because the struggles seem to have "divine" support.
In Ireland, the historic struggle against oppression and for liberation have had an impact on Catholicism here. Irish people experienced great losses - of hope and expectation as much as close family members and access to a living.
The struggle here was to try to save one's people and culture from decimation. In this, it seems the Irish identification with Catholicism succeeded best of all - better than the language, music, sport, dance and more specific local traditions. (I'm not saying these other things didn't survive. They absolutely did. I am saying the identification with the religion survived best. There is least debate about its role in Irishness, and there has been the greatest amount of participation in it, at least until recently. Even recently, the struggles with it have been in terms of hurt and disillusionment with the Church and not a definition of what it means to be Irish.)
I think one reason why the religion survived was because it was part of a larger project. It was global, and thus had access to greater structures and resources elsewhere when people attacked it. Because it was not uniquely Irish, the Irish weren't alone in their fight for it. There was help, and this is always something to celebrate.
If we are to survive any great struggle, we need help. This is a profound truth and one to remember. Whether it be in our relationship, family, community or nation, our support of each other is what allows us to survive.
Shalini Sinha is a life coach and Bowen practitioner in her clinic, Forward Movement.