Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Due to cultural shifts, expectations of personal space, and of course, a harassment lawsuit, I wasn't too worried about being pinched if I didn't wear the color green today. Getting a good pinch for making the poor sartorial choice of non-green clothing was a standard punishment back when I was in school, but now it appears that tradition has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

However, many of the tried and true traditions remain. We still like drinking green beer, eating corned beef and cabbage, and....uh...did I mention drinking green beer? Oh yeah, about that drinking beer thing...

There's also one of my favorite St. Patty's Day traditions:

For those who demand absolute authenticity on St. Patrick's Day, you could head over to the Emerald Isle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Around 300,000 people visit Blarney Castle each year with the express purpose of hanging upside down 90 feet in the air to kiss...well, a big rock embedded in the castle's battlements. Didn't know about the hanging upside down part? I didn't either, until I visited Blarney in 1983.

Here's how you do it:

My grandmother had a needlepoint hanging in her living room that read:

May those that love us, love us.

For those that hate us, may God turn their hearts.

If they are unwilling to turn their hearts, may God turn their ankles,

So we'll know them by their limping.

Have a great St. Patrick's Day.