Do you let your kids celebrate it or not? SO and I disagree on this, I say that our children could celebrate it but not in our house (like at school or a parade). He said he would want to pull them out of class to avoid the party and do something as a family. Maybe meet up with our friends and have them play with their children.

Why wouldn't you let them celebrate with their friends?

Why can't Pagans celebrate St. Patty's Day?

I didn't realize there was a way to celebrate it other than wearing green. Lol

I know that the foundation of the holiday is relgious - the celebration of St Patrick....but really, it's more of an excuse to get smurffaced and practice Irish Yoga than it is a religious day anymore. A class party or parade is a far cry from attending mass, what's the harm with a few leprechauns?

Quoting [Doe Eyed Dirty Lurker]:" I didn't realize there was a way to celebrate it other than wearing green. Lol"

  Right, whatever religious background it may have had hundreds of years ago, these days it's just about wearing green, getting drunk, bagpipes and leprechauns.

We are pagan and celebrating the Irish heritage part because my children have Irish in them. Dont see the big deal at all. I would not let my kids go to a Christian church and celebrate/ learn about St. Patrick from that point of view..

Quoting Dovahkiin:" Why can't Pagans celebrate St. Patty's Day? "

Saint patrick basically drove the pagan beliefs out of Ireland and brought Catholicism to the island.

Driving the snakes out, snakes being the pagans.

Quoting Captain Lauren + ?:" Saint patrick basically drove the pagan beliefs out of Ireland and brought Catholicism to the island. Driving the snakes out, snakes being the pagans. "

Oh, I didn't know that.

When I think of St. Patty's Day I really don't think of the real St. Patrick.

The 'snakes' that St Patrick drove out of Ireland, were the Pagan people.
We are Pagan, well DH and I are, we'll let Heathen choose her path when she's ready. She had a party at school for it, and it wasn't about the historical/religious aspect. All fine and dandy to me.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Dovahkiin:</b>"   Right, whatever religious background it may have had hundreds of years ago, these days it's just about wearing green, getting drunk, bagpipes and leprechauns."</blockquote>




To you. Not to Irish Catholics,

<blockquote><b>Quoting Captain Lauren + ?:</b>" Do you let your kids celebrate it or not? SO and I disagree on this, I say that our children could celebrate ... [snip!] ... class to avoid the party and do something as a family. Maybe meet up with our friends and have them play with their children. "</blockquote>




I honestly have no idea what the real meaning behind Saint Patrick's Day is, lol...
I've also never seen anyone actually celebrate it by doing anything other than wearing green or clovers and drinking green beer....and I'm half Irish...

Quoting Ravey Candyass:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Dovahkiin:</b>"   Right, whatever religious background it ... [snip!] ... it's just about wearing green, getting drunk, bagpipes and leprechauns."</blockquote> To you. Not to Irish Catholics,"

I'm in Kentucky. Our population of traditional Irish Catholics is pretty small.  

Quoting Captain Lauren + ?:" Do you let your kids celebrate it or not? SO and I disagree on this, I say that our children could celebrate ... [snip!] ... class to avoid the party and do something as a family. Maybe meet up with our friends and have them play with their children. "

lol. It is NOT a religious holiday. IMO, if you restrict this is seems nutty and your kids will resent it later.

I've never given st. patricks day much thought, seeing as in America it is mostly viewed as a celebration of the fact that some of your ancestors are irish. I would allow my children to celebrate with friends, as long as it is just a fun and lighthearted party, not some religiously focused rant against pagans. Being a wiccan, I can see where you're coming from, digging through the history and seeing the truly awful things that happened and the fact that these things are given an entire day to celebrate such awful things is pretty disgusting in my mind. I don't think a childrens party based on wearing green and having irish relatives is really the same thing though, so if it's a good get together for kids to have fun together I would view it like that. If it really is a get together aimed at teaching kids that the pagans are evil, than of course I would say no to them going.