Community Chat

[AngusandBuddhasMom]

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@Beachy1 wrote:

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@HULAGIRL wrote:

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

How did the whole pinching thing start anyway?

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Kids would tell me since I didn't wear green on St. Patrick's Day, I would get pinched.....sort of a punishment for not wearing green. 

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That's mean.

I wouldn't want my kids getting pinched for not wearing green.

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Its not a prerequisite of the holiday. It started in America in the 1700's if you were wearing green the leprechauns could not see you and try to  pinch you. So if you did not have on green you would be pinched. 

[Noel7]

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@HULAGIRL wrote:

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

How did the whole pinching thing start anyway?

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Kids would tell me since I didn't wear green on St. Patrick's Day, I would get pinched.....sort of a punishment for not wearing green. 

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It was a game, not an ethnic torture, lots of giggling... at least where I lived.  I never wore green, either, I didn't like the color when I was a kid.

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When I was pinched, or as a kid, I did the piching, it was always gently done. No "torture" involved.

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@Plaid Pants2

I know.  I can't believe someone took it seriously and decades later holds a grudge against St. Patrick's Day.

[BabyYoda]

It's a day of celebration for all, not just Irish people. Everyone is welcome to celebrate. It's a big drinking holiday. There are parades everywhere. I was taught growing up to respect those people that celebrate certain holidays and to learn about their culture and/or religion. The Irish people help build NYC into what it is today.

[Goldengate8361]

@HULAGIRL I always felt exactly the same thought about St. Patrick's Day. I just don't get it.

[KingstonsMom]

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@Goldengate8361 wrote:

@HULAGIRL I always felt exactly the same thought about St. Patrick's Day. I just don't get it.

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Maybe this will help:

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick"), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland),[4] the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland,[3] and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.[5] Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.[6] Christians also attend church services[5][7] and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.[5][6][8][9]

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland,[10] Northern Ireland,[11] the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.[12] Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. In recent years, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialized and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish.

[Puppy Lips]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

I am of Irish decent and COULD CARE LESS ABOUT ST. PATRICK'S DAY.  

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If  you are trying to say that you don't care about St. Patrick's day, you should state that you COULD NOT CARE LESS.  Just saying.... common mistake!

[HULAGIRL]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@HULAGIRL wrote:

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

How did the whole pinching thing start anyway?

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Kids would tell me since I didn't wear green on St. Patrick's Day, I would get pinched.....sort of a punishment for not wearing green. 

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*********************************

It was a game, not an ethnic torture, lots of giggling... at least where I lived.  I never wore green, either, I didn't like the color when I was a kid.

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When I was pinched, or as a kid, I did the piching, it was always gently done. No "torture" involved.

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@Plaid Pants2

I know.  I can't believe someone took it seriously and decades later holds a grudge against St. Patrick's Day.

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I'm far from holding a grudge......I was just saying that even as far back as elementary school I didn't really understand the big deal about SPD.  I know the kids were just goofy.....sheesh, you're reading way too much into this.

[Puzzle Piece]

I am not of Irish ancestry but if folks want to remember their heritage and be appreciative of it, well, I say okay. 

REMEMBER - The Irish did help build railroads and did mining for the nation in the early years.  They also fought for many others in WWII, became police and fire fighters - they offered their contirbutions. 

No, I won't wear green or orange or do any other traditional things but if others want to and they don't bother anyone else, I'm okay with that.