There will always be confident party-goers donning unforgivable sweaters pasted against the white shadows of winter. There will be carols that no amount of eggnog could auto-tune. There will be awkward mistletoe mix-ups, unsatisfactory secret Santas and discourteous family dinners. But the majority will celebrate Christmas the way it has always been celebrated in the United States—by buying a lot of stuff.
New York City held its annual St. Patrick's Day parade this Saturday. The city's 241st celebration of Ireland's patron saint (the parade is older then America itself) was successful on manylevels.