Boston St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Returns In Person Sunday After 2-Year Hiatus
BOSTON (CBS) – The most recognizable faces in Massachusetts politics were on hand Sunday to trade jokes as the Boston St. Patrick's Day Breakfast returns in person for the first time since 2019.
Among those in attendance were Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Mayor Michelle Wu.
For Baker, it was his final breakfast as governor. Massachusetts Sen. President Karen Spilka handed him an inflatable duck to signify his year as lame duck governor.
"I wish you all nothing but happiness, health, and no more COVID as we go forward," Baker said to conclude his final St. Patrick's Day address.
For Michelle Wu, this year marked her first appearance at the breakfast as Boston mayor. Wu joked about the clashes she had this winter with Boston firefighters over her COVID vaccine mandate.
"This past winter was pretty intense. Trial by snow, trial by fire…fighters union," Wu said. "I'm getting used to dealing with problems that are expensive, disruptive, and white. I'm talking about snowflakes, I mean snowstorms."
Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch was unable to attend the breakfast as joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Poland, where they met refugees from Ukraine.
The breakfast was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, which also forced the event to be held virtually in 2021.
There was no mask or vaccine mandate in place for attendees this year.
Massachusetts Sen. Nick Collins told WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller before the event that the key is for jokes to be "clean not mean."
"That's what's great about the day for the public is to see people in positions of influence not taking themselves too seriously even though they have serious jobs, and making light of themselves," Collins said.
A separate St. Patrick's Day event also returns to the city on Sunday. The South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade made its through the streets for the first time since 2019.