What the Song “Rock the Boat” and Irish Weddings Have In Common



They say there’s nothing like an Irish wedding, but what makes them so different? First of all, they go on for at least 3 days, and that doesn’t even include the bachelor/bachelorette parties. If you’re going to an Irish wedding, you might want to take the entire week off work just to be on the safe side. The first thing you’ll notice at an Irish wedding is that you likely share more mutual friends with the couple than you originally thought. It’s common for the entire town to decide to come for a gawk. As for the food, you can count on it not being skimpy. Just as the last main course in your system gets overtaken by the copious amounts of alcohol you’ve consumed, you’ll notice servers doing the rounds again. That’s because more food always appears at midnight. Aside from all the typical things you’ll find at an Irish wedding, it’s a given that you’ll hear the song “Rock the Boat,” which is a uniquely Irish thing. While the song is played, people sit on the floor as if they’re rowing a boat, swaying side to side, in what looks like a conga line for people too tipsy to stand. It’s Irish culture at it’s best!