It seems that most stores in recent years head straight to Easter after Valentine's Day, instead of stocking a lot of St. Patrick's Day products. Most stores I have seen in recent years carry little to no St. Patrick's Day products, and those that do usually just have it as a small subsection of the Easter section. The only stores so far locally that I have seen St. Patrick's Day products were Walmart and Fry's Marketplace (Kroger).

It seems that St. Patrick's Day is suffering a similar fate with retailers as is Thanksgiving in recent years, where retailers head straight to Christmas after Halloween. Now, most retailers are heading straight to Easter after Valentine's Day at least locally where I live.

While I am not Irish, I think a little green doesn't hurt for that day. I usually wear a polo shirt in a color known as Absinthe Green for that day (Yes, another "Fairy" color along with my Fairy Tale pink).

Not every holiday needs a major commercial component. And FWIW I don't think I have ever seen any sort of major push at retailers for St. Patrick's Day beyond there being plenty of corned beef briskets , Irish beer and Jameson's in stock at my local grocery store.

V-day and Easter both involve gift giving to some extent and kids.... neither of which St. Patrick's Day has. And Turkey day for that matter too.

Did we have not a thread about St Patrick Green drinks not long ago ?

desertjets wrote:

Not every holiday needs a major commercial component. And FWIW I don't think I have ever seen any sort of major push at retailers for St. Patrick's Day beyond there being plenty of corned beef briskets , Irish beer and Jameson's in stock at my local grocery store.

V-day and Easter both involve gift giving to some extent and kids.... neither of which St. Patrick's Day has. And Turkey day for that matter too.

At least when I was in elementary school in Virginia St. Patrick's Day was a pretty big deal. I wonder how the local school districts here in the Phoenix area celebrate it. In college at ASU it wasn't a big deal although some people wore green.

And what is wrong with some green decorations such as shamrocks?

Don't you have enough other opportunities to throw your hard-earned money into the bottomless pit called retail industry?

Anyway, a holiday where you can't wear pink is a lost holiday...

BartSimpson wrote:

Don't you have enough other opportunities to throw your hard-earned money into the bottomless pit called retail industry?

Anyway, a holiday where you can't wear pink is a lost holiday...

Not really. I love Christmas, yet I always wear red on that day. Christmas and St. Patrick's Day aren't the only days of the year that I don't wear pink. I even have IZOD Advantage Polos in several different colors to wear year-round (even though most of them are Spring and Basic colors; I only have one in a Fall color Fig which is a brownish purple).

1337Delta764 wrote:

In college at ASU it wasn't a big deal although some people wore green.

Ooooooo new info. What did you study? Fashion merchandising? Or genetics?

I see plenty of Irish/St. Patrick's Day stuff in Walmart, local grocery stores, 'dollar stores', but it may be plateauing as many stores don't want to end up with excess stock that doesn't sell. We are also becoming a more diverse in the USA, there has been intermarriage of Irish with others of different ethnic groups and some don't like supporting the stereotypes of the day, especially the excessive drinking. While more towns and cities have parades, some places (like Hoboken, NJ) discontinued them due to problems and police OT costs. Even some bars are moving away from celebrations due to problems from drunks.

jetero wrote:

1337Delta764 wrote:

In college at ASU it wasn't a big deal although some people wore green.

Ooooooo new info. What did you study? Fashion merchandising? Or genetics?

He's the male Elle Woods, president of his fraternity Delta Pi (Pi for Pink) and he's talked his cousin out of buying this hideous Amazon polo. Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed.

Have you walked into a Party/Liquor store? Plenty of “Irish” going on there.

I don't really recall many stores ever stocking much St. Paddies day stuff. Maybe party favours in certain shops but other than green clothing what else is there?

einsteinboricua wrote:

jetero wrote:

1337Delta764 wrote:

In college at ASU it wasn't a big deal although some people wore green.

Ooooooo new info. What did you study? Fashion merchandising? Or genetics?

He's the male Elle Woods, president of his fraternity Delta Pi (Pi for Pink) and he's talked his cousin out of buying this hideous Amazon polo. Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed.

Well orange is the new pink according to amazon's deceptive new color wheel!!!!!!! Time for a lawsuit!

jetero wrote:

Well orange is the new pink according to amazon's deceptive new color wheel!!!!!!! Time for a lawsuit!

I thought red was the new pink according to Amazon. Remember? "Pink is just a shade of red"?

einsteinboricua wrote:

jetero wrote:

Well orange is the new pink according to amazon's deceptive new color wheel!!!!!!! Time for a lawsuit!

I thought red was the new pink according to Amazon. Remember? "Pink is just a shade of red"?

That b*stard Bezos was sure to start somewhere!

It's just demographics. I think that for more people moving to the US from South of the Border, legally, or not, Easter, and candy and stuff for their bambinos, is much more appealing to them, than some dumb holiday around drinking (green) beer. I mean, they kinda already celebrate drinking beer already. So they don't need an Irish "Holiday" excuse to do so. That's my take.

Maybe because most of the USA has a slightly less than tenuous Irish connection now?

DIRECTFLT wrote:

It's just demographics. I think that for more people moving to the US from South of the Border, legally, or not, Easter, and candy and stuff for their bambinos, is much more appealing to them, than some dumb holiday around drinking (green) beer. I mean, they kinda already celebrate drinking beer already. So they don't need an Irish "Holiday" excuse to do so. That's my take.

Thise damned Catholics and all their beers!!!!!

Now that being white (and male) is considered the root of all evil in modern society, a Celtic day that celebrates a male patron saint of a historically white country. is never going to be popular with all the feigned outrage and white apologist brigade who like to make excuses for anything associated with a "white" culture" in a multicultural society. Of course, it has become a drinking ritual for non-Irish with twee faux Irish "culture" and if it was part of any other minority tradition the associated Irish stereotypes would be considered derogatory and racist and the fact that Leprechauns being only male trickster fairies would be considered sexist and role models for drunken males to harass women instead of what it actually is, a celebration of the Patron Saint of Ireland on the anniversary of his death. Patrick (who was not even Irish) was responsible for bringing the Catholic tradition to the Pagan Celts. I think we can agree that that was quite an event for a nation that became largely Catholics and their descendants - It's the equivalent of bringing Islam to Egypt or Buddhism to Thailand.

As for the 12-month long trade festival that is the modern calendar, Any holiday is just an excuse to sell more stuff that people don't need or even really want. That's consumerism folks. Because St Patricks is so close to the larger easter sale {April 1st), even the retailers know they won't get away with pushing it so close together,

aerorobnz wrote:

As for the 12-month long trade festival that is the modern calendar, Any holiday is just an excuse to sell more stuff that people don't need or even really want. That's consumerism folks. Because St Patricks is so close to the larger easter sale {April 1st), even the retailers know they won't get away with pushing it so close together,

Even last year when Easter fell on a much later date there wasn't a lot of marketing for St. Patrick's Day where I live.

1337Delta764 wrote:

Even last year when Easter fell on a much later date there wasn't a lot of marketing for St. Patrick's Day where I live.

Businesses probably just want to avoid being associated with it as they don't want the media outrage for the BS reasons I mentioned in the paragraph above. The brand damage can be enormous for even the stupidest BS reasons if they get enough exposure. Social Media is the death of the services industries, many businesses live in constant fear of being publically lynched by a cybermob with E-pitchforks. You see what happens when the pitchforks are out for Celeb endorsements after comments/tweets, corporate discounts for the NRA, United Airlines Dr dragging and much less important things besides.

aerorobnz wrote:

Now that being white (and male) is considered the root of all evil in modern society, a Celtic day that celebrates a male patron saint of a historically white country. is never going to be popular with all the feigned outrage and white apologist brigade who like to make excuses for anything associated with a "white" culture" in a multicultural society.

Is that why Santa Claus and Jesus are in decline these days? Oh wait...

aerorobnz wrote:

Now that being white (and male) is considered the root of all evil in modern society

I made it this far

einsteinboricua wrote:

aerorobnz wrote:

Now that being white (and male) is considered the root of all evil in modern society, a Celtic day that celebrates a male patron saint of a historically white country. is never going to be popular with all the feigned outrage and white apologist brigade who like to make excuses for anything associated with a "white" culture" in a multicultural society.

Is that why Santa Claus and Jesus are in decline these days? Oh wait...

Christianity is Middle Eastern in origin and if Jesus existed he was from that region. too. St Nicholas is Turkish. Thankfully practising religion, in general, is on the decline in many parts of the US, it is still significant for many culturally.They are not the same as Celtic/Anglo Saxon and Norse origins.even if Sinterklaas related tradition that became Santa Claus is. Because of Zwarte Piet, the traditional Dutch version has been subjugated for the more universally palatable American/Coca Cola version, so yes he has changed with society too.

Bottom line is if the marketing/advertising departments sense any potential controversy that might cause them to lose market share, brand trust etc they bastardise the original concept (like Christmas and Easter ) until they have a generic inoffensive format they are happy with, or else they stay well clear. I am merely suggesting St Pat's Day falls into that murky grey area where the mob might attack for a litany of insipid reasons.

Wasn't St. Patrick Catholic? Don't Catholics give up alcohol between Ash Wednesday and Easter? Further, Doesn't St. Patrick's Day fall between Ash Wednesday and Easter? I have never understood that. They are not supposed to drink during that time, but one of the biggest drinking holidays falls during that time.

As far as merchandise, not a lot needs to be done. Just throw on a set of green party beads and be done with it. Why should retailers stock their shelves with stuff that few will buy?

seb146 wrote:

Wasn't St. Patrick Catholic? Don't Catholics give up alcohol between Ash Wednesday and Easter? Further, Doesn't St. Patrick's Day fall between Ash Wednesday and Easter? I have never understood that. They are not supposed to drink during that time, but one of the biggest drinking holidays falls during that time.

Maybe the conservative wing of Catholicism, but most Catholics I know will only follow the "no meat on Friday" tradition, if at all. And besides, that's what Sunday mass is for anyway.

jetero wrote:

DIRECTFLT wrote:

It's just demographics. I think that for more people moving to the US from South of the Border, legally, or not, Easter, and candy and stuff for their bambinos, is much more appealing to them, than some dumb holiday around drinking (green) beer. I mean, they kinda already celebrate drinking beer already. So they don't need an Irish "Holiday" excuse to do so. That's my take.

Thise damned Catholics and all their beers!!!!!

In the Middle ages, I think it was wine that the monks in monasteries excelled at, but what do I know? One man's vineyard is another man's poppy field I suppose.

What celebrations for St David's day, the patron saint of Wales , which is celebrated today the 1st March.

St Patrick was Welsh or perhaps English and was captured by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland where he was a slave for 6 years before escaping back home
and then returning to Ireland to preach

jetero wrote:

DIRECTFLT wrote:

It's just demographics. I think that for more people moving to the US from South of the Border, legally, or not, Easter, and candy and stuff for their bambinos, is much more appealing to them, than some dumb holiday around drinking (green) beer. I mean, they kinda already celebrate drinking beer already. So they don't need an Irish "Holiday" excuse to do so. That's my take.

Thise damned Catholics and all their beers!!!!!

Yes, those damned us and all our nectar of the gods.