Despite the current wave of midterm exams, Irish-Americans at Harvard are preparing, albeit in a muted way, for the festivities associated with tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day.

The holiday is generally considered by the Irish as the most festive of the year, but most students of Irish descent say they will celebrate away from campus, if they celebrate at all.

"We're going to be marching in the Cambridge St. Patrick's Day parade," said Sarah C. Handeyside '97, president of the Irish Cultural Society (ICS).

This year marks the second year that the city will offer its own St. Patrick's Day parade. Last year, Cambridge sponsored the event in response to a decision by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council to restrict gay and lesbian groups from marching in their famous parade.

Despite its efforts to organize a ceili, or traditional Irish dance party, the ICS was unable to coordinate any kind of on-campus event due to logistics, Handeyside said.

"We tried to plan a ceili for [tonight] but we had to reschedule it for April," Handeyside said.

Instead, members of the ICS said they plan to leave campus to celebrate the holiday.

"The club is pretty small and tight-knit, so we're all going out to watch Irish music and dancing," Handeyside said.

Due to the lack of an organized St. Patrick's Day party, some Irish-American students not affiliated with the ICS said they are inclined to leave campus to celebrate as well.

"I'm thinking about going into the Irish section of Boston," said Alana J. McMahon '98.

The reason students feel the need to leave campus may be the stress generated by the recent wave of tests and thesis deadlines, said April J. McGrath '96.

"If I was at home [I would be celebrating], but here no," McGrath said. "I'm writing my thesis."

But some students will celebrate the holiday on campus, said Arvind M. R. Krishnamurthy '97, the social chair of Kirkland house.

"The Kirkland House Committee has a Stein Club once a month," said Krishnamurthy. "This month, the theme is St. Patrick's Day."

Krishnamurthy said the Stein Club, which took place on Thursday, served Murphy's, which he called "an authentic Irish beer," and green-colored Rolling Rock.

Despite the muted reaction of Harvard students to St. Patrick's Day, the holiday is considered a bigger event for Irish-Americans than for natives of Ireland itself, said Tomas O'Cathasaigh, Shattuck Professor of Irish Literatures.

"I will go to the Cambridge St. Patrick's Day parade and that will mark the holiday," said O'Cathasaigh. "St. Patrick's Day isn't central to [Irish citizens'] notions of themselves."

By contrast, O'Cathasaigh said many Americans of Irish descent see St. Patrick's Day as a time to revel in their heritage.

"Here, [the holiday] is the focus of Irish-American people's identity and their connection to the land, so in a sense it's celebrated more vigorously here," he said.

So despite students' workloads, representatives of local area bars said they expect a large turnout tonight and tomorrow.

"We should have a big crowd during the day," said Brittney L. St. Jermaine, a bartender at Shay's Pub and Wine Bar. "We got Murphy's on tap for the first time in honor of the holiday."