It is safe to say that we have all grown tired of hearing of, worrying about, and adapting to the pandemic’s repercussions. This year, we not only get to enjoy a bit of ‘the luck of the Irish’, but we can also feel hopeful when we stop to consider what 2021 might look like based on Chicago’s inspiring St. Patrick’s Day celebration plans, against all odds.
We see these feelings of hopefulness quickly spreading across Chicago since mayor Lori Lightfoot shared with ABC News that the green tinting of the Chicago river was still happening even with the pandemic’s seclusion impositions. The mayor defined this homage to St. Patrick’s Day and longtime tradition as a vital part of the Chicagoan community, and that its yearly implementation provided a symbol of unity, luck, prosperity, and hope for the remaining duration of any given year.
Chicago residents claim that they have always looked forward to watching the river turn green because it provided them with bliss and joy while observing the city’s festive climate during the week of March 17th. The Irish community used to leave their pubs open for 24 hours during Saint Patrick’s Day so that everyone could enjoy the festivities at any time. Since the spread of COVID-19, the Irish portion and the greater Chicago metropolitan area’s citizens became concerned with how they were going to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day this year, or even if there was going to be the traditional green river at all.
Due to the citizen’s concerns, Ms. Lightfoot stressed the importance of upholding and enforcing the green river tradition this year; claiming that it would not only show appreciation for St. Patrick and the Irish community but most importantly, it would provide hope and unity for Chicago’s community while honoring an exciting and longstanding tradition.
Even though the original celebrations and parade plans will not resume, we can still look at what is happening in Chicago as a way to incorporate a more hopeful view not only towards the remainder of this year but throughout our lives, especially when we are faced with unforeseen adversities.
On that note, I believe that St. Patrick is still mysteriously at work, since more vaccines are being made available (lucky us!), as we all gradually attempt to heal from last year’s devastating occurrences.