St. Patricks Day 2013 Features Parades, Partying, Politicians, And Poets

St Patrick’s Day 2013 is where we all break out the green clothing and pretend we’re Irish. But, besides all that, what people tend to remember most — assuming they remember much at all after so much partying — is the food and drinks.

St. Paddy’s Day aficionados at justWink have added a set of new digital greeting cards that are perfect to send on the go. The free smartphone app boasts a collection of more than 500 cards that can be sent via text, email, Facebook, and Twitter.

Lisa Wascovich, brand manager for the justWink smartphone app, says these digital cards are perfect for St Patrick’s Day:

“We know our justWink fans love to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a big way because it’s the perfect excuse to get together with friends and have a good time. We love giving our fans super cute cards to send to their friends on this fun holiday—of course with a justWink twist.”

Of course, for many St Patrick’s Day 2013 will not be about giving cards. That’s Valentine’s Day! St Patrick’s Day is usually about partying. As such, Maine’s governor Paul Lepage recently signed a St Patrick’s Day bill that suspends the current state law which prohibits the sale of liquor on Sunday between 6 am and 9 am. I don’t know who actually plans on drinking that early in the morning, but personally I plan to keep my partying in bed for those wee hours of the morning.

Last year, President Obama caused a St Patrick’s Day stir after dropping by Irish bar The Dubliner where he downed a pint of Guinness and mingled with St. Patty’s Day revelers. Washington, D.C., will also be hosting parades, green beer, Guinness stew, and the usual Irish themed revelry.

Speaking of food and drink, Irish chef Clodagh McKenna says her favorite memories of St. Patrick’s Day come from her childhood home in Cork:

“It was very much a family day. All the kids would make their own badges with fresh shamrocks and Irish flags. We’d go to Mass, have my mother’s Guinness stew or spring lamb and go to see the parade. It was a tiny little parade, very simple.”

Irish novelist Colum McCann explains for St Patrick’s Day the luckiest thing that has ever happened to him:

“The luckiest thing that ever happened to me was that I was able to travel away from my homeland without rancor without regret. America allowed me to understand my Ireland, and my Ireland informed my America. I became a person of two countries, my hands in the the light and the dark of each. I am always grateful for luck, or perhaps the manufacture of luck.”

I can raise a glass to that. In other news, this writer will be celebrating his 30th birthday on St Patrick’s Day. My original plan was to go skydiving, but unfortunately that got rescheduled for another day. Still, I plan on hitting the Meg O’ Malleys Irish pub near my home to celebrate in a semi-traditional manner.

How do you plan on celebrating your St Patrick’s Day 2013?