“I pinch people, if they don’t wear green,” said Amara Meierhoff about St. Patrick’s Day, that is celebrated every year on March 17th It is an Irish holiday that comes from St. Patrick, an evangelist for nearly 30 years, died on March 17 in the year 461. The day is also called the Feast of Saint Patrick. The color for St. Patrick’s Day is green. “I wear green” said Meierhoff, but the original color associated with St. Patrick was blue. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in the early 17th century, when the holiday was celebrated. “I usually dress up, my mother sometimes gives us gifts,” said MaKenzie Johnson. The holiday eventually spread around to different countries in the world, and even though it is not legal a holiday anywhere in the states, it is still celebrated. On March 17, 1996 the first St. Patrick’s festival was held in Ireland. Each year more days got added to the festival, and it is now a five day event. So why do people outside Ireland celebrate it? St. Patrick’s Day is now spread out and celebrated all around the world. The longest-running St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in North America. It happens every year in Montreal. The city’s flag includes a shamrock. The countries celebrating the holiday today, mostly do it by having a festival and a parade. St. Patrick’s Day also has an international rugby league tournament between the United States and Ireland. It is called St. Patrick’s Day test, and it is held on or around March 17. There are different ways of celebrating this holiday. It all depends on what you did in your childhood or how much you believe in it. You might celebrate it just by wearing green, pinching people if they don’t or if you a more religious background. There are many different reasons why people celebrate the day, it can be religious reasons or because it is a holiday that is just a tradition where you are from. Johnson said, “I have Irish heritage.” “I had my hair pulled back, with my brothers shirt and shorts in middle school, and a student mistakenly called me a boy,” said Johnson. St. Patrick’s Day isn’t really a day where you get off in America, but it is still a day that gets celebrated in different ways. It is another special day to dress up, celebrate with friends or family and a day to just have fun and do what you want to.