Soucheray: Make a McDay of it on Saturday

Are you Irish? Well, whether you have Irish heritage or not, it doesn’t really matter this weekend, because on St. Paddy’s Day, everyone is Irish. Do you have your favorite Irish songs, the Irish meal you look forward to every year, or perhaps your worn Irish sweater? Whatever it might be, bring it out and bring it on this weekend to celebrate the luck of the Irish!

If you want to start a little early, you could join the 47th St. Patrick’s Day Parade downtown St. Paul on Saturday, March 16, which starts at noon. If you check the website stpatsassoc.org, you’ll find lots of information, such as the parade route, as well as suggestions for parking downtown. With more than 125 different participants, the parade is sure to be lots of fun.

After the difficult time of snow and cold we’ve had, this mid-March reprieve and day of rejuvenation could be exactly what we need, as we take in a day of celebration in our state’s capital city. If you decide to go, be sure to wear walking shoes, as you may have to park a distance away. Plan to enjoy some of your favorite downtown restaurants, stop by the Landmark Center to experience some of the beauty of our city, or visit the Minnesota History Center to learn more about the story of our great state.

You could then head downtown Minneapolis to take in their St. Patrick’s Day Parade, as well, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on the Nicollet Mall. For more information about the Minneapolis parade, visit the website mplsstpats.org to get details about the parade route and other events of the day.

As they say, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, for the Irish are known for their sense of welcome and friendliness, their ability to make everyone feel like family. I have heard people who have Irish heritage say, that as they fly into Ireland for the first time, they feel as though they are home. That there is such a sense of connection to the land and to the legacy their forefathers and foremothers left them that they feel as if they themselves have come from the Irish Isle.

If you decide to go to the parade in St. Paul, you’ll do so at noon on Saturday, and if you’re up to more fun, take in the Minneapolis parade at 6:30 that evening. Either way, because St. Patrick’s Day is on Sunday, and the celebrations take place on Saturday, you’ll be sure to have lots of fun, so plan to make a weekend of it.

Soucheray is a Woodbury resident and a licensed family therapist

Tags: opinion, column, viewpoint