Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office
“I hope our educational community will soon be able to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day as a school holiday and officially join in celebrating our city’s many ties with the Emerald Isle,” said Sen. Addabbo, seen here marching at the 43rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Rockaway earlier this month.
By Forum Staff
The State Senate Education Committee has approved legislation to allow New York City schools to recognize March 17—St. Patrick’s Day—as an official holiday, Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), one of the measure’s co-sponsors, announced on Friday.
Under S.1933, schools in the five boroughs could close on St. Patrick’s Day in recognition of the significant Irish-American population in NYC and not be penalized by a loss of State school aid, according to Addabbo.
“It makes sense to close local schools on a day that is traditionally reserved for celebration, cultural appreciation, and religious observance by many people of Irish descent,” the senator said. “Areas of my Senate district encompassing the Rockaway Peninsula have been referred to as the ‘Irish Riviera,’ and I can attest that from Breezy Point throughout the eastern communities on the peninsula, the grand tradition of Irish cultural pride is an integral part of family life. On March 3, in fact, the Queens County St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Cultural Committee held its 43rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Rockaway – an event that everyone, Irish or not, comes together to enjoy.”
Addabbo noted that the Rockaway parade, combined with the legendary New York City St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Manhattan, demonstrate the city’s status as a center of Irish culture, heritage, and pride.
“We need only to look at these gatherings – which draw enormous crowds every year and contribute significantly to our local economies – to know that just about everyone is a little bit Irish in New York City this time of year,” he said. “I hope our educational community will soon be able to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day as a school holiday and officially join in celebrating our city’s many ties with the Emerald Isle.”
Addabbo also pointed out that in 2014, the State Legislature approved a law to enable the Department of Education to determine whether holding classes on days associated with religious or cultural holidays would waste educational resources when significantly fewer students attend school on those days.
“Closing schools for St. Patrick’s Day seems to make both cultural and economic sense,” the senator said.
