A short essay by Brielle Kohlbeck
My fourth favorite holiday is Saint Patrick’s Day. And it’s not because I’m entirely enthralled by
the idea of snakes being chased out of Ireland.
Nor is it in my top five because I relish watching people drink themselves sick or since I enjoy
gold chocolate coins so much, and this is the most socially acceptable time to eat a pouch of
them.
I’ve also never found a four-leaf clover, but one time, I was given a green shirt by my coworker
named Lucky, so I think that counts for something.
It is, however, one of my favorites because if you were to ask me to rattle off some things I love
— strangers would be one answer.
People-watching is an innate activity that goes hand in hand with that, a hobby I picked up most
from my grandfather. The aforementioned activity is never better than on a holiday. Seeing
strangers pick up a green shirt on a somewhat random day in March just for fun makes me feel
lucky to be part of this society despite economic rises and falls, climate disasters, and wicked
problems drowning out most of the world.
Something about holidays – those federal or even those claimed to be a marketing scheme
cooked up by Hallmark (justice for Valentine’s Day!) – brings people together and creates an
atmosphere of joy and love. I think these are the small things making life feel not so hard or
alone.
Whether it’s an act of meal communion, perhaps this weekend, the breaking of a traditional Irish
Soda Bread, or a simple transaction of “happy holidays,” I believe these pieces of our standard
calendar year create a world more desirable to live in. One with smiles, laughs, and seas of
corresponding color schemes.
According to a 2017 article in UConn Today, Dimitris Xygalatas writes, “Some of my own field
studies have found that taking part in collective rituals creates feelings of belonging and
increased generosity toward other members of the group.”
This professor of anthropology might just be able to explain my inexplicable love for these
situational experiences. I’m encompassed in the idea that there are certain situations that can
bring people together — those who may sometimes be diametrically opposed on many other
fronts.
I’d like to one day study in depth what it is about holidays that can bring together communities
and cultures worldwide, but for now, I’ll just write about how much I love it in my university
honors blog.
I’ve learned through my short years of life that it’s a privilege to feel this community. This is my
version of luck, especially in terms of St. Patrick’s Day, in which it holds the most merit. And,
life becomes exceptionally more admirable once you’re grateful for those small lucky things.
About the Author
Brielle Kohlbeck is an Honors freshman majoring in Journalism!
Leave a Reply