The Reason I Love St. Patrick's Day

And the number one reason Phresh loves St. Patrick's Day is:

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I was at a family reunion recently, back in November actually. I learned some interesting things at this reunion. I learned that my paternal grandfather was adopted. That was quite a bombshell, since my understanding of my family lineage had been ingrained in me for many years. There have been questions, like who my biological grandfather was on my mothers side. That is a very sticky, messy subject that is beyond the scope of this blog post. I have thought for years however, that I had my fathers side of the family all figured out. I have been to the family cemetery and I have read the history book about our county and all the data I read pointed to German heritage on my grandfathers side and Irish heritage on my paternal grandmothers side.

While I have always managed to identify with my supposed German heritage, I have also wished I was more Irish, especially on St. Patrick's Day. I just understood the culture more intimately. I was happy being of German, Irish stock on my fathers side and English, Canadian on my mothers side. Like most Americans, I am a mix of many European cultures. From way back, as in the Revolution and prior.

So when I learned that my paternal grandfather was adopted, my interest was piqued. I have much yet to learn, but it turns out that he was of solid Irish decent. This makes sense to me on a fundamental level, he was a hard drinker till the day he died at a ripe old age, and seldom touched a beer. Black Velvet on the rocks was his poison of choice. A taste for whiskey is a good indication of heritage.

Liquor preference is only a minor thing though. My grandfather apparently was adopted in the pre-depression era by a German family. This boggles my mind and I really need to talk to the sole surviving member of his immediate family. My great aunt (his sister) lives still at the staggering age of 80 something. She is the last link, the last chance to learn what my lineage really is.

So now I have a clue to why a Catholic Irish holiday resonates so purely in my soul. I know, anyone who knows me understands that my favorite holidays are heavy drinking holidays, but there is so much more to it than that. I hope to learn what the real story is, and I am also hoping I am more Irish than originally thought. I could do worse.