Written by Skip McLambThe McLamb clan and friends gather in mid-March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, an unofficial but important holiday vigorously celebrated in the Ocean View section of Norfolk, Virginia. This Irish National Holiday is a celebration of Irish culture and religion, and honors the Patron Saint of Ireland, St Patrick. All in Ocean View look forward to this day.
The holiday activities include a two-hour parade, street parties, musical performances, and the opportunity to feast on traditional Irish foods and drinks. Participants decorate the festivities by the “wearing of the green”, accentuated with gaudy jewelry and outrageous hats. The parade includes school bands, scout groups, horses, antique cars, clowns and many famous and infamous local citizens. Two local and interconnected parade customs are the tossing of candy to parade watchers by parade participants and the tossing of jell-o shooters to parade marchers by those viewing the event.
If you aren’t Irish, may the luck of the Irish be with you.
About the author: Skip McLamb, a retired educator, writes for pleasure to make good use of his new found free time. Contact him at ovmclamb@live.com.
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