NEW YORK: St. Patrick's Day already has parades, but the quintessential Irish beer maker Guinness thinks March 17 deserves more: recognition as an official U.S. holiday.
Guinness is collecting signatures for the cause, known as "Proposition 3-17," and as of Sunday evening, had more than 260,000 signees online and in more than 900 taverns around the country, according to the company's website.
Guinness will turn the petition over to Congress on St. Patrick's Day regardless of the final tally, since there are no minimum signature requirements needed to give the proposition to lawmakers.
"The signatures are really more of a way to show how many people are really behind this idea," said Guinness spokesman Jim Sias.
The brewery hopes the holiday will become official next year by giving federal employees the day off, with private companies following suit.
Bar patrons were excited about the idea.
"I've always had fun on St. Paddy's Day," said Bob Ledonne, 24, as he sat on a stool at Blaggard's Pub in Manhattan. "You'd have more drinking time if it was a national holiday."
Since 36 million Americans claim Irish descent—almost nine times the population of Ireland—Guinness executives believe their proposition might pass.
"We're doing everything we can to make it happen," said Guinness spokesman Richard Nichols.
But creating a national holiday isn't simple. Congress and the president would have to approve it, and past proposals to turn Constitution Day and Cinco de Mayo into federal holidays failed.
There are only 11 national holidays in the U.S., including Inauguration Day, observed once every four years when the president is sworn into office. The last holiday added was Martin Luther King Day in 1983.
Even if St. Patrick's Day became a federal holiday, there's no guarantee that private employees would have the day off. And, taxpayers could wind up paying millions of dollars to pay federal employees required to work on the holiday.
Matt Nelligan, the New York state president of Irish organization the Ancient Order of Hibernians, believes St. Patrick's Day could be misinterpreted if it were a national holiday.
"As an Irish Catholic, I wouldn't like to see St. Patrick's Day defined as a bar holiday," Nelligan said. "I think it would degrade its importance as a feast day for the Catholic Church."
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with spreading Christianity in the country.
In 1903, Ireland recognized St. Patrick's Day as a public holiday, but people the world over come to the U.S. to celebrate it. "It's far bigger over here," said Irish tourist Michael Barry, 22, in New York to see the parade Monday.
His companion, Ciara Tinnelly, 22, thought it was already a national holiday, "because everyone's out partying."
Guinness said it will continue to collect signatures if Congress doesn't bite, in the hope of making lawmakers realize the idea has merit.
"The spirit of being Irish is really the pursuit of happiness," said Guinness Brew Master Fergal Murray, who flew in from Ireland to raise support for the proposition. "It should be a fun day."
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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