For the first time in years, I headed downtown for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Chicago on Saturday morning, my ’07 Nikon Coolpix in hand to capture the revelry.
Most famously, it kicks off with the dyeing of the Chicago River by the local plumbers union, a tradition started over 60 years ago in 1962. It’s quite the sight.
Over the course of about an hour, the plumbers union sprays a powdered dye (interestingly, bright orange) from boats into the water which turns it an intense, “Emerald” green. Thousands of revelers crowd the bridges and streets riverside to watch, equally forming a sea of green. Originally the dye was used to detect sewage leaking into the water in an effort to clean up the river.
Resistance Is Futile
Upon arriving at Wells and Wacker, I immediately detected a different type of “sewage” — ubiquitous gallon jugs of brightly-colored liquid in the hands of young folks. A college-aged girl gave me it’s name: BORG. To my eldest millennial ears, I heard a Star Trek reference. Nope. It’s an acronym for Black Out Rage Gallon. Catchy!
I heard a Star Trek reference. Nope. It’s an acronym for Black Out Rage Gallon. Catchy!
Apparently, this trend has been happening on college campuses for several years. But it picked up steam and spread as a TikTok trend last year. An assimilation to a hive mind after all, so it seems the Star Trek allusion holds water. Or in the specific case of BORG, a mixture of water, alcohol, sweet flavorings and some hangover remedy, like Liquid I.V. or Pedialyte.
I’ve got to give props to Gen Z. It’s a much smarter concoction than the simple Everclear-and-Kool-Aid “jungle juice” from my college days served in red cups that ensured a massive hangover. And more creative: it’s common to write a pun on the side of the jug, e.g. “BORGan Donor.” Also safer, as it’s much better than an open Solo cup to prevent roofies.
We’ll see if the BORG trend continues next year. Certainly it fits the time-honored ethos of Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day — the river getting greened out while everyone watching gets blacked out. If you’ve been assimilated to the electrolyte-infused jug, perhaps now with less of a hangover. Welcome to the St. Paddy’s shit show, Gen Z!
Below is a collection of photos I captured with my Coolpix from the morning and early afternoon in the Loop. With so many people concentrated downtown in the partying spirit, plus atypical sunshine and warmth, it was the best day to shoot in Chicago so far in 2024.
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