Did you pinch everyone who didn’t wear green on Tuesday? Yes? Well, shame on you.
The St. Patrick’s Day traditional color is really blue. And, according to Irish history, Protestants should be wearing orange.
‘The wearing of the green? originally meant wearing a shamrock pinned to your clothes, not wandering through the streets with a two-foot green and gold top hat.
The three-leafed plant was used by St. Patrick to explain the holy trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) to the Celtic population. Until the twentieth century, the missionary was more often depicted in blue, not green. And the same goes for ancient Irish flags.
But, if the Protestants in the group want to stay true to their protesting roots, wearing orange is the way to go.
After Protestant William of Orange (William III) defeated Roman Catholic King James II near Dublin, the religious minority celebrated their new power. Nevermind that William’s namesake is a place in France. The color reference stuck with defiant Protestants.
It’s all true – go check out Ireland’s flag and then Wikipedia it.
There is one modern tradition, though, that I won’t debunk. One place that can keep green in the festivities. In keeping with the holiday, I offer a limerick:
See, orange and blue have their places,
But drinking green beer I won’t mess with.
Cause our clever rhymes
Get better with time
When we head to CJ’s from the office.