St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland and the man largely responsible for bringing Christianity to the country. In the United States, it is a celebration of all things Irish and green. While you might be getting ready to go to West 7th tonight to down cups of green beer, here are five more ways you can honor the Irish.
1. wear green.
This is a given — everyone knows to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, but do you know why? The Irish believed that wearing green made them invisible from leprechauns. That’s also why people might pinch you if you don’t wear green — leprechauns pinch anyone they can see!
2. take a virtual tour.
Immerse yourself in Irish heritage with the variety of virtual tours that are available. Art lovers will enjoy the National Gallery of Ireland, while natural history buffs will gawk at the National Museum of Ireland’s exhibits. If you’ve always wished you could live in a castle, take a virtual tour of Blarney Castle, one of Ireland’s most famous.
3. Attend a local event.
Many events around Fort Worth celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, including the famous Cowtown Goes Green event on Saturday in the Stockyards. If you’re looking for something closer to campus, Crockett Row on West 7th hosts Shamrocks & Shenanigans starting at 11 AM on Saturday. Check out a comprehensive list of events in and around Fort Worth on Culture Map.
4. listen to some irish music.
Whether it’s culturally Irish or just sung by an Irish person, listening to Irish music while you’re getting ready for your night is one of the best ways to celebrate. Throw some Hozier, Niall Horan, The Script on your playlist, and you’ve got a great Irish soundtrack.
5. Educate yourself about Irish-American heritage.
One of the best ways to celebrate any holiday is by learning about the people to who it belongs. The Irish were largely hated and discriminated against in America when they first immigrated to the country, fleeing famine. Learn more about their story with this article from the History Channel.
Finally, I’ll leave you with this Irish proverb as you go about your festivities this evening: “May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.” Happy St. Patrick’s Day!