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St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by people all over the world regardless if people have Irish heritage or not. It is a day filled with celebrations and gatherings of all sorts, but this year the coronavirus has canceled everything. However, people all over the world found ways to enjoy the day. One way was Irish singers live streamed songs on various social media platforms or shared past videos of performances for fans to watch throughout the day.
Professor for mathematical sciences Dr. James Hughes spends a typical St. Patrick’s Day with his family and the day concludes by having a traditional Irish dinner: corn beef and cabbage. Being home did not affect that and his family was able to still have the dinner, but it was far later than a typical dinner time. The college his daughter attends closed for the entire semester and the students were given a date to get their items. However, the county of his daughter’s campus was basically going on lockdown, so the date was pushed earlier to March 17. If Hughes had more time to prepare for it, he would have gone earlier in the day to move his daughter out.
“All of it though made things interesting, like the Schuylkill Expressway is usually very busy, but it was not backed up and nearly an empty highway,” Hughes said via phone call.
Despite his St. Patrick’s Day being rushed and making dinner later, Hughes still enjoyed it. “[We] were all together and we’re healthy. There is a lot to be thankful for,” Hughes said.
Junior Emma Pile is currently studying abroad at Maynooth University in Ireland. Ireland has also closed schools and public places down due to the pandemic for precaution. Leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, Pile said she was looking forward to watching the parade, which got canceled. “I was looking forward to seeing live music in town and the streets of Dublin filled with happiness and people. I think just knowing typically how it is compared to how it is, you wish you could go out and do those things,” Pile said via phone call.
For St. Patrick’s Day, she and a few friends went out to see what was happening in Dublin. Together the group of friends got a drink. “It was really sad. The Temple Bar area, which is a touristy area, was dead and it was so sad to see it empty. It was weird and Dublin felt like a ghost town,” Pile said.
Still though, Pile got to be with her friends and they played Irish music and welcomed not being alone. “It was sad because it’s not the ideal St. Paddy’s I wanted to have in Ireland, but with everything going on I understand. I had my friends around though and that’s all that matters,” she said.
First-year Sandra DiRienzi loves St. Patrick’s Day and the culture that it represents, but felt some of that was lost this year. She couldn’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day because one of her friends was going to have a celebration with Irish-themed games for the group of friends to play.
“I feel like it was ruined. It was really sad. I wanted to celebrate it with my friends,” DiRienzi said via phone call.
However, DiRienzi made the most out of the day. “I had a video chat with my friends, my dad helped me make a non-alcoholic mojio and I played Jackbox games with my family. The main celebration though is being with friends and family that makes holidays important,” DiRienzi said.
DiRienzi said she wished she had more time to prepare for an indoor St. Patrick’s Day because then she would have gotten decorations such as balloons to make her home look nice and festive.
St. Patrick’s Day may not have been what most people were expecting or prepared for, but that did not keep them from enjoying themselves with those they hold dear.
