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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Irish Invade Nazareth!

Nazareth residents, hide your daughters! The Irish have invaded!

Unless you can trace a Nazareth heritage that extends back at least forty generations, you will always be an Ausländer here in this 99% white community, first established by the Moravians back in 1740. At that time, my forbears were still swinging in trees. I tried changing my name to Bernhard Sauerbraten for a few weeks, but my masquerade failed when I refused to eat scrapple.

Nazareth residents do have an Achilles heel - music - and the Irish exploited it at Saturday's Evening on Main Street. Step dancers from the O'Grady Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance thrilled crowds, who had defied the threatening clouds. Celtic melodies wafted in the humidity, keeping the rain away.

Did this musical interlude expand some horizons? I can't be sure, but on Sunday, I saw a Stonehenge replica made out of Moravian sugar cake.

Photo: O'Grady Quinlan

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bernie,
Funny column. It's Stonehenge, by the way, not Stonehedge. Although, I guess if the replica is made out of Moravian sugar cake you can call it whatever you want.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Thank you. And thanks for pointing out the spelling error.