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City has its own set of St. Patty’s Day traditions that you won’t find
anywhere else. One such tradition is the beloved Bag Day.
For the uninitiated (and un-bagged) Bag Day is when hundreds of people
gather at the
Irish Pub
(164 Saint James Pl. 609- 344-9063) the morning after St, Patrick’s Day
to wear a brown paper bag on their head...and drink like nuts.
Some come in just a plain bag, but real Bag Day veterans come with ornately
designed bags and then make sure they don’t have to go to work for at least
two days.
How BAG DAY Got it’s Start
Bag day started in 1984, when two Resorts cocktail waitresses (Lynn &
Chrissy) came into the Irish Pub following their grave shift to meet up with
the bartender, John (who, by the way, continues to pour drinks there since
he started in 1980!)
After dealing with drunk gamblers all night working at
the casino, the women walked into the bar and said, "now it's OUR turn to
get bagged..." That's when another bartender by the name of Bob gave them
each a brown paper bag, which they then placed over their heads. Oddly
enough, as more patrons filed into the bar, more brown bags were handed out.
By now the bar was 50-percent full of bag-wearing customers and as more
people entered, the crowd would begin chanting: "Bag 'em, Bag 'em, Bag 'em!"
And so it was that Bag Day began.
Now, anyone planning on attending Bag Day should know
that Bag Day does not officially start until 9am the day after St. Patrick's
Day, when John's shift is over. Anyone who wants a bag must be sober too.
For one, because everyone must start off on an even
keel; second, because if you've been drinking from St. patty's day to the
next morning, you're already bagged!
Top ten reasons for Bag Day
10. Everyone can be Irish, no matter WHAT you look like.
9. Don't have to see who you just made out with in the bathroom
stall/parking lot.
8. preventative measure for drunken brawls
7. hilarious to watch when a drunken brawl inevitably DOES break out
6. one whole day of drinking just isn't enough...
5. people wear bags on their heads because they're hiding from their
spouse/boss/bill collector...fill in your own answer
4. nothing else to do...
3. lots of hyperventilating going on
2. there's always some jerk who tries to light a cigarette and sets himself
on fire
1. Why not?
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