This St. Patrick’s Day you’re likely to take part in that time honored
tradition of wearing green. If not, you risk punishment-by-pinch, an
especially popular custom on schoolyards and around office water coolers.
Thus, wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is not only widely practiced, it’s
virtually required. It’s hard to imagine the holiday without green.
But I’ve always enjoyed the fun by wearing orange. Protestant Irish have
been known as “orange” ever since 1690 when William of Orange (William III),
the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, defeated King James II, a Roman
Catholic, in the Battle of the Boyne near Dublin. William’s victory would
ensure Protestant military dominance on the island and has been a source of
tension ever since.
And what of Patrick? Patrick himself would have been surprised by all of the
fuss. Patrick wasn’t even Irish; he came to Celtic Ireland as a British
missionary. But more importantly, Patrick did most of his work in the 5th
century at a time when Christians were simply Christians, long before any
divisions. He was converting pagans to Christianity, not Catholicism.
Therefore St. Patrick belongs to the whole church, not just Rome (where he’s
not even an officially canonized saint), and people of all colors and creeds
should take part in the festivities. So before the green-wearing Irish among
you get into a pinching craze, think twice. Some of us wear orange for a
reason, and we’ll pinch you back!
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”