I can remember as a kid growing up the hullabaloo that circulated around St. Patrick’s Day. Folks pinching each other when they saw others were not wearing green. Or drawing shamrocks on their hands with marker to avoid the inevitable pinch. And it took me a while to realize it, but I align with the “I won’t wear green on the 17th” mentality. I’m not anti-holiday or anti-celebration. But I’ve come to learn that deeper meaning is important to me in my decisions and actions. So though I won’t wear green, you can find me proudly sporting orange each March 17th.

St. Patrick, a Catholic Saint (other traditions also claim him), is associated with Ireland though I do not believe that was his original country of origin. It’s disputed where in Roman Britain he was actually born. His association with Ireland brings about his association with the color green. In the Irish flag; the green, the white, and the orange all represent different things. 🇮🇪 Below you can see a picture from Wikipedia.

Thus, as one who is of the Protestant faith, I will wear orange. It may not make sense to everyone. It may mean that people still try and pinch me (they will get pinched back). But it’s something to me that holds deeper meaning than just following what everyone else does.