So what’s with everyone wearing green on Marchand pinching other people that aren’t? Is there some inside joke I'm not getting here?
Oh wait, it's St. Patrick’s day! It's always been a tradition to pinch people that don't wear green. And what's even more strange to this is that contrary to popular belief, what we think St. Patrick's day is all about (wearing green and pinching) was actually not the purpose of the day?
Despite the day being about wearing green, this day was actually about a saint named Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick is a missionary, which is someone that promoted Christianity in the area they were designated in. For our saint, it was Ireland. During his time there, Saint Patrick did a couple normal things, such as using the three-leafed shamrock as a way to describe the holy trinity, performed a miracle that drove the snakes into the sea, and raised thirty-three people from the dead to name a few things. Ok, maybe not so normal.
As a mixed result of being a missionary and accomplishing the miracles he did, Saint Patrick received a whole day dedicated to him. Though, many people remember this day for many other reasons. For some, St. Patrick’s Day is a reminder of Ireland’s independence and perseverance through trying times. Mr. Welcome, one of our esteemed teachers, shares his reason for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. As an Irish-Canadian American, St. Patrick’s means “celebrating Irish heritage.” He usually celebrates the holiday with a big family party and dinner; however, because Mr. Welcome’s family is back home in Massachusetts, he decided to do his own version of celebrating by incorporating Irish heritage information into his lesson for the day and provide his students with snacks.